This Is The Best Type Of Bread To Eat For Good Gut Health
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By Paige McBride/Jan. 22, 2021 2:16 am EST
According to Healthline, making sourdough is one of the oldest forms of baking bread. Per the outlet, instead of relying on traditional yeast to help it rise, sourdough utilizes the natural ingredients already in the mix, like “wild yeast” and various strains of bacteria. This lactic acid bacteria works in a similar way to the bacteria that’s also present in other fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi. If you’ve seen the “sourdough starter” stories on social media, this is what it contains.
Keeping your gut flora healthy serves as an integral piece of various biological processes. With sourdough’s high level of gut-healthy bacteria and low level of gluten, it offers people an alternative to many conventional options. “Sourdough is a better form of white bread,” Dr. Will Bulsiewicz told Bustle. “The fermentation process reduces the gluten content and enhances the bioavailability of nutrients in the flour.”
Basically, the bacteria from the starter aids in various processes that enhance nutrients in the bread.
Sourdough contains more nutrients than other types of bread
On top of containing more bioavailable nutrients, sourdough bread also boasts a higher fiber content than its counterparts. Bustle reports that, because this type of dough goes through the fermentation process, it keeps its natural flavor — reducing the need for fillers, sweeteners, and other additives that aren’t great for gut health. Stick to the whole grain sourdough options for the highest nutrient count possible.
If you’re looking for your probiotic fill, however, don’t depend on sourdough alone. “Though fermented with the probiotic culture lactobacillus — the same culture that ferments sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and pickles — sourdough doesn’t contain probiotics, as they are burned off in the baking process,” Stephanie Papadakis, nutritional consultant and founder of Gut of Integrity, told Bustle.
The gut-healthy benefits lie in sourdough’s readily available nutrients. As for the unique taste … that’s an added bonus.
