Sliced white bread may be healthier than you think
A new study found that consuming wholemeal bread did not improve wellbeing in comparison to eating more processed types of bread.
The scientists compared more than 20 clinical measurements and have admitted they were surprised by the findings.
They have warned that brown bread should not be labelled as a “healthier” alternative to a white loaf.
The study was conducted with 20 participants who were split into two groups.
One group spent a week eating white bread and the other ate whole-wheat sourdough. The groups then switched breads.
The scientists used blood tests to determine vitamin and mineral readings, fat and cholesterol levels, kidney and liver function, and look for inflammation and tissue damage.
They also checked their balance of healthy gut bugs.
Surprisingly, there was no substantial difference in the group readings.
However, half the participants had healthier blood sugar readings when eating white bread, while the other half did better on brown.
A computational biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, researcher Eran Segal, explained that consumers should stay away from a one-size-fits-all approach.
“The initial finding, and this was very much contrary to our expectation, was that there were no clinically significant differences between the effects of these two types of bread on any of the parameters that we measured,” he said.
“We looked at a number of markers, and there was no measurable difference in the effect that this type of dietary intervention had.”
“The findings for this study are not only fascinating but potentially very important — different people react differently, even to the same foods.”
The study is published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Oxford Professor Susan Jebb said that it is difficult to draw conclusions from a small trial.
“The findings are clear — there was no effect of the type of bread on over 20 clinical measurements. It may be that this is too small a group to detect potentially small differences but the fact remains that there was no measurable effect on health.”
Dr Elizabeth Lund, Independent Consultant in Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Health said that whole meals should not be given up on.
“It should not be forgotten the health benefits of whole grains may be much longer-term than a one week study can show, especially in relation to gut health and prevention of conditions like bowel cancer.”