Source: Times of India
In today’s diet-focused world, bread gets a bad reputation in a lot of popular meal plans focused on health and weight loss. Carbohydrate-heavy food such as bread is usually the first thing to go but not all types of bread are created equal.
While processed white bread isn’t exactly a superfood; there are other types of bread which could potentially provide a little more in terms of nutritional value.
Whole Wheat Bread
Source: Loving It Vegan
When it comes to bread the 2 types that most shoppers are likely to be familiar with are white and whole wheat bread. Of these 2 bread that is 100%, whole wheat is considerably healthier, unlike processed white breadth.
Whole grain bread keeps the entire grain intact during the manufacturing process leaving in various bits such as germ, endosperm and bran.
By leaving these parts of the train, whole wheat bread contains a much higher value of nutritional content than if it were to be removed.
In addition to having a higher concentration of fibre, the bran and germ of the grain are also beneficial sources of other nutrients such as protein and fat along with various other vitamins and minerals.
By contrast, the refined grains used in white bread do away with many of these important nutrients by removing the bran and germ during the bread's creation.
In addition to these added nutritional benefits, whole wheat bread may also help protect your body against certain types of health complications such as Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes and even certain varieties of Cancer.
Sprouted Grain Bread
Source: Good Housekeeping
Like whole wheat bread, sprouted bread is made with whole grains, and is the key ingredient as opposed to refined grains or flour. The key difference is that as the name implies sprouted grain bread is made from whole grains that have begun to terminate; by which we mean the grains have begun sprouting.
This is because the grains used to make bread are seeds and by allowing these seeds to germinate before making them into the bread you can potentially unlock a variety of added nutritional benefits.
According to one study Pita bread made from 50% sprouted wheat flour contains an enormous difference in terms of nutritional value including more than 3 times the amount of folate than other varieties of bread.
Folate is a vitamin which plays a key role in converting the food you ingest into emergence, making its addition a major plus for sprouted grain bread using germinated grains for bread also has been shown to increase the number of antioxidants within the bread.
While also decreasing the number of compounds in the bread that block the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals such as iron, the sprouting process also breaks down the starch within the grains which lessens the impact the bread has on your Blood Sugar.
Sourdough Bread
Source: Delish.com
Sourdough is a type of bread made through a special process that involves the fermentation of naturally occurring yeast and bacteria, which allows the bread to rise. This process of fermentation is also noteworthy in that.
It plays a significant role in reducing the Phytate content of bread by as much as 50% compared to other types of bread that are created through more conventional techniques.
The unique production process of sourdough bread may also make it easier to digest due to the higher concentration of prebiotics and probiotics that can assist your body with the digestion process.
Oat Bread
Source: Tastes Better From Starch
As evidenced by the name oat bread is bread made using oats as the primary ingredient. In addition to oats, oat bread is also made with natural ingredients such as whole wheat flour, yeast and water; if you’ve been following this list so far it’s a good sign in terms of potential health benefits.
In addition to using whole wheat instead of refined processed flour, the oats found in oat bread are associated with several additional health benefits including magnesium, vitamin B1, iron and zinc. Oats are a major source of fibre, specifically a type of fibre known as beta-glucan.
Beta-glucan, it’s believed to help lower your body’s cholesterol levels as well as keep your blood sugar at a manageable level.
Flax Bread
Source: Canola Eat Well
Flax bread is a type of bread made using a combination of whole-grain flour as well as flax seeds. Flax seeds are an incredibly nutritious addition to any meal plan which means that by extensions, flax seed is probably one of the healthiest bread options you can choose from for starters.
Flax seeds are an especially rich source of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, which is an Omega 3 fatty acid that some studies suggest may reduce the risk of Heart disease with regular intake.
Additionally, flax seeds also provide a plethora of additional health benefits including the improved cholesterol, lower blood pressure and better control over your body’s blood sugar levels.
Flax seeds also contain antioxidants known as lignans which may potentially help to prevent the onset of certain varieties of cancer.
Written By -Madhumitha. R
Edited By- Rumela Gupta
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