The b Read more> bread is a staple in our daily environment, but for it to be truly healthy it must be made according to certain quality parameters. If you’re wondering whether that depends on it being wheat, the answer is partly yes, and it depends on the wheat.

In the Mediterranean basin bread has traditionally been baked with different types of wheat, whereas in more mountainous and cooler regions cereals such as rye and varieties like spelt have served as the reference grains.

Now, from the early 20th century, bread-making has become industrialised and there has been intense hybridisation of wheat varieties, refined flours have been introduced, and artificial yeasts, dozens of additives, fats and sugars have been added. That is why many breads today, and especially wheat breads, are not of good quality. Another option is to bake your own bread at home without refined flour, as there are many options.

How to tell a healthy loaf

A good portion of the bread consumed today has been frozen before baking and is little more than starch with gluten and additives, which probably has a lot to do with the rise in digestive disturbances.

Healthy breads are thankfully making a comeback thanks to the interest of people who want to take care of their health, but how can you tell a truly natural and healthy loaf from one that merely appears so?

Before buying your bread you should first answer these questions:

1. How heavy is this bread and what colour is it?

In general, a healthy loaf is dense, dark and heavy.

2. What does this bread taste like?

A healthy loaf offers a pleasant flavour and comes with a high-quality, bioavailable nutrition, good satiety and easy digestibility.

3. What flour is it made from?

It is essential to select appropriate wholemeal or low-extraction flours, whether from gluten-containing cereals such as ancient wheats, spelt and rye, or pseudocereals such as buckwheat, amaranth, teff or quinoa.

Spelt and Kamut are higher in protein, with a more easily digested gluten. They also boast more vitamins from the B and E groups, magnesium, zinc or selenium. They are also readily available in organic production.

In any case, the flour should be the result of milling whole grain, which differs from mixing bran into a refined flour, as happens with the “brown bread” found in many bakeries.

4. Is it genuinely wholemeal?

Not always easy to discern at a glance whether we’re looking at a true wholemeal loaf, so you need to check. The percentage of wholemeal flour must exceed 70%. Many breads start from refined flours and only carry a small portion of wholemeal, bran, colourants or caramel to give a brown colour.

Opting for wholemeal bread is important for many reasons:

  • Bread is more nutritious the more wholemeal it is. The fibre, fats, vitamins and minerals are found in the germ and outer layer, which are removed when refined.
  • When bread is wholemeal, it typically contains up to 7% fibre, which slows the digestion of carbohydrates, which can account for up to 50% of the loaf. Proteins reach around 10%, though some cereals like wheat are limited in lysine. The fat content can reach up to 2% when the flour contains the germ.
  • Wholemeal breads are also rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and B vitamins.
  • Another advantage of compact, dense wholemeal breads is a lower glycaemic index, because the cellulose structure is not dismantled by gastric amylases.
  • Organic acids also form a barrier to starch digestion.

5. Is it made with sourdough and fermented slowly?

It is essential that the fermentation processes are very prolonged with lactic acid bacteria, which form in slow-cultured sourdough starters. They can be enriched with a variety of nuts and seeds.

The sourdough with lactic bacteria and ambient yeasts generates organic acids and lowers the pH, which eliminates pathogens and predigests nutrients, making them more biodisponible.

But is sourdough bread more nutritious? Indeed, fermentation with sourdough degrades up to 70% of phytates, anti-nutrients found in wheat. In this way, the bioavailability of minerals improves considerably. Therefore, the selenium, iron or calcium in the bread is better absorbed.

Healthy does not mean with gluten or gluten-free

The lactic acid bacteria in sourdough break down proteins, including gliadins, but not glutenins. This can make it more digestible, but it does not make it suitable for people with a medical diagnosis of gluten intolerance (celiac disease).

Among gluten-free options, we should opt for cereals without gluten or for pseudocereals. With pseudocereals you obtain very nutritious breads:

  • Sourdough buckwheat bread is rich in vitamin B3 and magnesium.
  • Amaranth bread provides vitamins A and B, calcium, iron and phosphorus.
  • Quinoa bread offers calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins.
  • Teff bread supplies iron, zinc and selenium.

And is gluten-free bread healthier? Wholegrain gluten-free breads made with sourdough are healthy. But industrial gluten-free breads start from refined flours with added fats, sugars and additives. They contain many starches and few nutrients.