Sourdough bread is a leavened bread which means bakers don’t use yeast as a raising agent. There are several reasons why fitness enthusiasts are considering sourdough bread over regular ones. Here are some of them.
Nutritional benefits
A sourdough starter is a culture of yeasts and useful bacteria which are natural. The dough is fermented naturally over five days as the dough rises due to gases produced as grain ferments. This process makes sourdough highly nutritional and enhances its macronutrient profile. Two slices (100gm) of sourdough bread have around 8g protein, 47g carbohydrate, and 3g fiber with a total of 230kcal.
Good for gut health
Sourdough has fiber and plant compounds, called polyphenols. These become more bio-available in the overall making process of the sourdough bread although the beneficial microbes found in the starting are lost in the baking process. Polyphenols are an important fuel source for human gut microbes which makes sourdough bread a lot more gut-friendly than other breads.
Promotes healthy aging
Sourdough bread is a crucial part of the Mediterranean diet. Older adults in the Southern Mediterranean have a lower incidence of diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Aging Clinical & Experimental Research study concluded that routine consumption of whole-wheat sourdough bread is a crucial component in helping promote healthy aging in humans.
Improves digestion
Although sourdough bread is not gluten-free, a study found that regular consumption of it improves gluten tolerance and digestion. This is due to the fermentation process for sourdough that modifies wheat enzymes making it a lot more beneficial for digestion. Another study proved that the lactic acid bacteria in sourdough can even aid in moderate allergic responses, inflammation, and auto-immune diseases.
Helpful in blood sugar management
Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index (i.e., how much your blood glucose increases two hours after food consumption) and glycemic load (i.e., how fast the blood glucose spike happens)as compared to the white bread and whole-wheat bread which is not fermented. One of the main reasons is that the whole-wheat sourdough is higher in fiber, which reduces the burden it puts on the blood glucose levels.
People who are on a gluten-free diet, can use any non-gluten flours and follow the sourdough process to reap the maximum health benefits of sourdough bread.
