Is eating bread healthy?

How healthy is it to consume bread? This question remains in many people’s minds, thinking about carbs, high GI (glucose response in blood), and gluten sensitivity.

Just coming back from France, this topic is self-evident to me to write about:

In Hong Kong, there are many types of bread being sold in numerous franchises (using modern and mass production techniques, to be conveniently sold everywhere, at a cheap price to many people daily). Lately, there has been an emergence of “artisan-style” bakers, appealing to more health-conscious or bread-loving consumers (small quantities, more expensive price, traditional techniques inspired by European bread-making techniques such as sourdough and long fermentation, whole wheat flour, etc). Of course, both have their advantages and disadvantages. White bread is very different from whole wheat and multigrain types of bread, and they present very different nutritional values.

Traditional French bread taste and health benefits:

With bread linked to history and culture in France, French people have bread on their table daily; it is a staple food, such as rice in Asia. 

Bread consumption is estimated to be 120g/day per person in 2023 (around 44 kg/y). Even if “baguette” is the main type of bread sold in France, there has been a huge improvement in its nutritional quality since the 1970’s for example. In 1993, an official decree was issued in order to protect “traditional” French bread from being highly processed with additives and other ingredients (such as eggs, sugar, milk or other dairy products), and to be mixed. The decree fixes traditional breads sold in boulangeries’ recipes to only 4 ingredients: wheat flour (refined or whole), water, salt and leavening agent (yeast and/or sourdough), with a tolerance of 2% maximum for other flours. Which keeps it “mildly processed”. Traditional bread (at least in France), uses wheat flour.

2 main things to look at when buying bread: Flour type, and fermentation time (and type):

There are a few health benefits to consuming bread in all its forms: it provides energy (carbs, simple or complex), some protein, key nutrients such as minerals and B vitamins and has sensory qualities, thanks to the Maillard reaction forming crust. And it is cheap. However, when consuming white flour bread, most of the proteins and vitamins are lost in the refining process. The high GI of white flour bread will generate a faster blood glucose response (spike of sugar in blood) than whole wheat bread. Whole Wheat bread has a better nutritional profile:  lower GI (due to high fibre content), micronutrients such as B vitamins (mainly B1 and folate), and some minerals. 

Fermentation time and type:

Bread is a fermented food. Yes, one of these foods that are recommended for our health, such as coffee, dark chocolate, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, etc. The most common fermentation type uses yeast (mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Sourdough breads (claimed to be “healthier”) are produced using some lactic acid bacteria mixed with the yeast in the fermentation process. Time matters: A longer fermentation, practised by most artisan bakers, produces more aromas and sensory qualities in the bread. Shorter fermentation usually shows a darker crust compared to a longer one,

Is sourdough bread healthier than its yeast-only counterpart?

Studies on long-fermented sourdough breads on potential benefits in terms of blood glucose response, cardiovascular health, and GI discomfort show controversial results. The heterogeneity of lactobacillus bacteria strains in the different studies makes it difficult to compare the effects of sourdough on general health. However, even if more research is needed, sourdough-fermented bread has been recognised as a superior nutrient-dense food with high fibre content, great sensory and texture qualities.

How about gluten?

In wheat grains, gluten is a complex protein made of gliadin and glutenin, which provides bread its “elastic” property, once it is hydrated in the dough. Only for people being diagnosed with celiac disease, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (or intolerance), gluten should be better avoided. In that case, inflammation in the gut will cause mild to severe symptoms.  

Besides gluten, the presence of FODMAP in wheat can also cause gastrointestinal issues. FODMAPs are types of carbohydrates that can resist digestion, and provoke bloating, gas, diarrhoea, and constipation in some people. It has been documented that sourdough fermentation can effectively reduce the level of FODMAPs in bread. So it can be beneficial to opt for this type of bread if you notice the aforementioned  GI issues. 

To conclude, mildly processed whole wheat or whole grain bread, preferably sourdough, is a great food to enjoy in moderation! It can be part of your daily carb portion. And a slice of white bread before a run is an easy option as well, for quick energy release.

Confédération Nationale de la Boulangerie et Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Française. Pain de tradition française. 1993. https://boulangerie.org/reglementation/pain-de-tradition-francaise/

Troadec, R., Nestora, S., Niquet-Léridon, C., Marier, D., Jacolot, P., Sarron, E., Regnault, S., Anton, P.M. and Jouquand, C. 2023. Effect of leavening agent on Maillard reaction and the bifidogenic effect of traditional French bread.  European Food Research and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.133387

Zain, M.Z.M., Shori, A.B and Baba, A.S. 2021. Potential Functional Food Ingredients in Bread and their Health Benefits. Biointerface research in Applied Chemistry. 10.33263/briac125.65336542 

Ribet, L., Dessalles, R., Corinne Lesens, C., Brusselaers, N, and Durand-Dubief, M. 2022. Nutritional benefits of sourdoughs: A systematic review. Advance in Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2022.10.003

Mesta-Corral, M., Gómez-García, R., Balagurusamy, N., Torres-León, C. and Hernández-Almanza, A.Y. 2024. Technological and Nutritional Aspects of Bread Production: An Overview of Current Status and Future Challenges. Foods. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13132062

Modèles De Business Plan.com. 2024. Quelle est la consommation de pain en France en 2023 ?

https://modelesdebusinessplan.com/blogs/infos/consommation-pain

Effect of fermentation conditions of bread dough on the sensory and nutritional properties of French bread 

D'Amico, V., Gänzle, M., Call, L., Zwirzitz, B., Grausgruber, H., D'Amico. S. and Brouns, F. 2023. Does sourdough bread provide clinically relevant health benefits? Frontiers in Nutrition. 10.3389/fnut.2023.1230043