“Bread is bad”, “don’t eat carbs” are phrases we have heard before, but can you separate carb fact from carb fiction?
Bread has been around since the beginning of civilization. It is a fundamental food containing gut-healthy fibre, magnesium, and protein.
Bread has served as a lunchtime companion to meat and vegetables or an accompaniment to the soup at supper. And where would our breakfasts be without toast or French bread? Bread has a bad reputation, known to be too salty in some instances, or too high in carbs.
However, there are some benefits to eating bread and why it is essential to have bread in your diet.
Corporate nutritionist and Eat Well Live Well ambassador Arthur Ramoroka has debunked some of the most popular bread myths and speaks to its health benefits.
No, carbs aren’t bad for you
First things first, unless you have Celiac Disease, which is an autoimmune reaction to eating gluten – a protein that is found in wheat, barley, and rye – there’s no reason for you to cut bread from your diet. A doctor may help you determine if you suffer from gluten intolerance, particularly if you experience bloating and gas, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue and vomiting, constipation, or an upset stomach after eating foods that contain gluten.
But besides that, we need to embrace a more wholesome approach to food by allowing ourselves to eat every single kind of food, as long as it makes up part of a balanced, portion-appropriate meal that includes all the macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) from various food groups. Bread is an extremely versatile staple – it can be used to make sweet and savoury breakfasts, a lunchbox meal, or a midday snack.
It can be simple or eaten at a high tea, used to make croutons, and in bread pudding. While high-fibre bread is better for you, white bread is also fortified with iron and zinc and contains numerous vitamins and minerals, specifically B group vitamins, all of which are essential for a healthy body and immune system.
Key take-out: A healthy and balanced diet includes foods from various food groups that include all the macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).
High-fibre carbs are your friends
A balanced and portion-controlled meal should include foods from each food group. Wholegrain and high-fibre carbohydrates – such as brown bread, seeded bread, whole grain bread, as well as oats, brown rice, brown or high-fibre pasta (that contains at least 6g of fibre for every 100g serving), buckwheat, millet, barley, and bulgur wheat – are so-called complex carbohydrates.
The fibre in complex carbohydrates makes you feel satiated for longer while helping to reduce cholesterol, high blood pressure, and the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Complex carbohydrates also require more time and energy to metabolise than calories found in refined carbohydrates.
These complex carbohydrates typically have a low glycaemic index (GI) which helps with sustained slow released energy, keeps you fuller for longer, and helps with blood sugar and cholesterol control. This is why we should focus on the quality of the food or food group we consume, rather than simply the food’s calorie intake.
Key take-out: High-fibre and complex carbohydrates make you fuller for longer while helping to reduce cholesterol, high blood pressure, and the likelihood of developing various lifestyle diseases.
High-fibre carbs promote a healthy gut
Our overall health and wellness are greatly influenced by our gut microbiome. What we eat impacts the health of our digestive system, which relies heavily on our gut microbiota that lives within it. The trillions of microbiota (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) in our gut play a pivotal role in regulating the body and ensuring it functions at its optimum.
The gut influences everything from metabolism and hormonal function to the immune system, as well as brain behaviour and function. Our gut bacteria are dependent on what we eat.
The more diverse our diets, the more diverse our gut microbiota. By regularly eating a gut-friendly diet that includes a large variety of fibre-rich foods; such as legumes, fruit, and vegetables with their skins, high-fibre carbohydrates such as brown bread, seeded bread, and wholegrain bread, as well as naturally fermented and pickled foods, we can improve the functioning of our gut microbiome.
A healthy gut functions better, absorbs nutrients, produces enzymes, and short-chain fatty acids, ensuring that your body functions at its optimum.
Key take-out: A gut-friendly eating plan should include high-fibre and complex carbohydrates, as well as fermented foods and drinks.
High-fibre carbs positively impact our mental health
What we eat greatly affects how our brain functions, as well as our mental wellbeing. A diverse gut microbiome is one simple way to help maintain and improve mental health.
Fibre and resistant starch cannot be digested or absorbed into the body. However, they serve as a food source for our gut’s bacteria, which allows the microbiota to produce short-chain fatty acids that act as messengers between the gut and the brain along with the gut-brain connection. The more short-chain fatty acids we have, the better our gut-brain communication and the better our brain can function, which can help to regulate cognition and emotion.
These short-chain fatty acids also enter the bloodstream to control inflammation and the production of proteins that promote brain growth and development, which is particularly essential as children grow. Short-chain fatty acids also help in the synthesis of serotonin, as well as some other hormones, which may improve mood, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The indigestible fibre and starch in our gut also enable the microbiota to create a thick protective lining within the intestines to prevent food particles, bacteria, and waste from entering the bloodstream and causing a so-called leaky gut, which includes symptoms such as bloating, gas, cramps, and sensitivities to certain foods.
Key take-out: A balanced gut microbiome can help to improve mood, symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as overall brain function.