Is bread a part of your daily diet? Well, the answer is probably a Yes! Bread has become a part of everyday life and is a consistent name in most meals everyday meal plan. It goes without saying, bread is super easy to grab on and serve. Being a staple food and top source of calories for many, it is very hard to bring up the question: Is bread good for health?
The Love and Hate Relationship with Bread
Bread has been around for years and its existence has never been questioned until the bad health impacts were discovered. Doctors and nutritionists all over the world are advising to reduce the intake of bread or skip it all together. When doctors or nutritionists are asking you to give the bread a miss, they are usually talking about white bread. The white bread is made from refined grains and is not nutritious for your body. They have high complex carbohydrates, which can cause your sugar level to spike high. Complex carbohydrates also slow down the digestion process. White bread can also be blamed for your extra pounds and other health issues.
If you want to include bread in your diet and cannot live without it, you can choose the healthier whole grain bread over the white bread. Whole grain bread is made of whole grains and thus, does not have the white colour but are healthier than whiter versions of bread. Whole grains have more nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Fibre helps in absorption of other nutrients.
The Curious Case of Whole Grain Bread
Although the whole grain bread is healthier than white bread, it still has some impacts on health. Whole grains transformed into fine flour are used in making bread. It causes products to digest at a faster rate. The starch breaks down quickly and enters the bloodstream as glucose. And even though there are many nutrients, whole bread can increase your blood sugar level as well. High blood sugar can cause sugar to react with protein at the cellular level accelerating the ageing process.
The Gluten Theory
Grains like wheat, rye, and barley have a protein that is known as gluten. Some people have celiac disease which makes them intolerant to gluten. Gluten is assumed to be dangerous by their bodies which trigger immune system reaction that attacks the body itself. Gluten is considered responsible for stomach upsets and fatigue. It also causes damage to walls of the digestive track resulting in pain, constipation and bloating.
Thus, the whole grain bread is not as safe as it seems, in case you have celiac disease or type2 diabetes. While whole grain bread might provide more vital nutrients than white bread, over eating them can still be bad for your health!