Bread is a staple food in many countries and has been eaten worldwide for millennia. Typically prepared from a dough made of flour and water. Compared to other foods like fruits and vegetables, bread is relatively low in essential nutrients. It is rather high in calories and carbs but low in protein, fat, fibre, vitamins and minerals. In fact, studies have found that wheat processing for preparing bread eliminates its bran and germ, which are loaded with fibre and vitamins. Lack of these essential fibre and vitamins along with high glycemic index (GI - a measure of how quickly foods increase blood sugar levels) and gluten content makes bread a risky food for the health.
Vitamin E and fibre that are hardly present in bread are extremely important for lowering the LDL or low density lipoproteins that are popularly known as bad cholesterol. This bad cholesterol stimulates the oxidation process that results in free radicals to settle in the blood and form layers of fat in the blood vessels, thus restricting the flow of blood. Gradually the plaque which is formation of fats leads to occurrence of heart diseases. Dietary fibre prevents the movement of bad cholesterol in the blood stream and binds it to get eliminated in the stool.
Bread is high in carbs — a single slice of white bread packs an average of 13 grams. Your body breaks down carbs into glucose, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels. Some research suggests that eating foods with a high glycemic index can lead to increased hunger and a greater risk of overeating. High-carb diets may also be associated with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health conditions that increase heart disease risk.
As the white bread is devoid of bran, it lacks fibre which stimulates slow digestion of food. Thus, regular consumption of bread can cause constipation. Dietary fibre is crucial for softening, binding and improving the digestion process of food and slow movement of food in the intestines can prompt the large intestines or colon to absorb all the remaining moisture. This leads in dry, crumpled and hard stools followed by abdominal pain.
In conclusion we may say that while bread efficiently meets our hunger needs, it hardly has nutritional value that can aid in improving our health.
What is the alternative? Taking all these disadvantages of eating bread into consideration, medical studies have found that eating whole wheat bread can save you from these possible dangers of eating the white bread. The whole wheat bread is manufactured in a way that packs all the goodness of bran and germ to give you the necessary dosage of fibre, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates, making whole wheat bread a great food to start your day with. The whole wheat kernel comprises the wheat germ that acts as a rich source of magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B, vitamin E, iron and zinc. Whole grains are extremely beneficial in reducing the risk of coronary heart diseases. Whole-grain bread is also high in fibre, which can slow the absorption of sugar in your bloodstream to help stabilize blood sugar levels. One of the most important advantages of eating bread is that its whole wheat content helps in maintaining weight. Whole grain wheat breads are great source of bran fibre that improves the bowel movements by softening and raising the bulk of the stools making it easier to pass through the intestines.
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