
Sourdough Bread and Blood Sugar Management

Sourdough Bread and Blood Sugar Management
Have you been encouraged to stop eating carbohydrates? Do you think it will help you lose weight or worse, have you been convinced that carbohydrates, especially grains, are bad for you? It is a shame that such misinformation circulates and so many people are confused about this important food group but it just shows that we need to apply some common sense before we remove foods groups from our diet.
But what if you have a digestion issue with grains, does that mean for sure, you should avoid them? No. Before you remove anything, try sourdough. What is sourdough? A traditional method of fermenting grains to make bread. It has many benefits and is much more digestible.
Fermenting grains creates prebiotic substances from the starches in the flour to aid gut health so sourdough is a great food for feeding the good bacteria. The current research has been done with sourdough made from white flour. The fermentation process also makes nutrients more available. However, a cool thing about the process of making sourdough is that it also adds B-vitamins that were not there before the fermentation occurred!
This makes sense since sourdough is a combination of good bacteria and yeast There is 100 times more beneficial bacteria than yeast as it happens, but wild yeast strains are definitely present since this is what makes the bread rise to give it an amazing, light-texture. And yeast is a great source of B-vitamins.
The acid nature, the “sour” of sourdough, aids in pre-digestion of the protein molecules in the grain especially the gliadin in gluten, as protease enzymes prefer an acid pH for optimal function. As a matter of fact, researchers are studying sourdough for safe consumption by individuals suffering from celiac disease.
The gluten must be completely degraded in order for a celiac individual to tolerate it, and this would make it quite sour tasting. Some experiments involved using fully-degraded sourdough mixed with fresh gluten-free grains added after fermentation to lessen the sour taste and these breads were also suitable for people with Celiac disease.
But probably the most amazing research comes from the University of Guelph, monitoring blood sugar levels after eating bread. Researchers took four samples of bread: regular white flour bread, whole wheat bread, whole wheat with barley bread and white flour sourdough bread. The participants in this study were all between the ages of 50 to 60 and were all overweight. They were fed the breads at breakfast and then again at lunch.
After both meals, blood sugar and insulin levels were measured. The sourdough provided the lowest level of blood sugar and insulin, and surprisingly, continued to keep the blood and insulin levels low for the following meal where no bread was consumed. The whole wheat, on the other hand, provided the highest level of blood sugar after a meal, even higher than the regular white flour bread! This is a welcome relief for those individuals that either need to lose weight or are diabetic (or both!) and don’t want to have to give up bread!
If you want to try sourdough, look for bakers in your area who are making traditional sourdough bread. This is a delicious adventure for you take. A quick google search of “sourdough” and the name of the city or town where you live could make it easier to find someone local.
And if you cannot find a source in your area, you can order it online and have it shipped to you.
When you do find a source, cut yourself a slice, drizzle it with some virgin olive oil or cultured butter. Enjoy!
References
1Sourdough and cereal fermentation in a nutritional perspective, Kaisa Poutanen a,b,*, Laura Flander a, Kati Katina a, Food Microbiology 26 (2009) 693–699
2Structural changes of gliadins during sourdough fermentation Gokcen Komen, Ayse Handan Baysal, Sebnem Harsa, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
3http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/07/sourdough_bread.html
4Glycosidases and B group vitamins produced by six yeast strains from the digestive tract of Phoracantha semipunctata larvae and their role in the insect development, C. Chararas et al, Mycopathologia 1983, Volume 83, Issue 1, pp 9-15
5Sourdough Bread Made from Wheat and Nontoxic Flours and Started with Selected Lactobacilli Is Tolerated in Celiac Sprue Patients, Raffaella Di Cagno1,†, et al, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. February 2004 vol. 70 no. 2 1088-1096
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND

Dr. Tara Clapp, ND
Naturopathic Doctor Focusing on Anti-aging and Hormone Optimization
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND is a Board-certified Naturopathic Doctor and leading authority on Anti-Aging & Bio-Identical Hormones. Dr. Clapp, ND has taken numerous courses to advance her knowledge and has received certifications in Intravenous Nutrient Therapy, Mesotherapy & Injection Therapy for Anti-Aging & Pain Management, as well as First Line Therapy Weight Management.
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND uses specialized, leading-edge laboratory testing for better diagnostics & health. Dr. Tara Clapp, ND has special interests in anti-aging, bio-identical hormone therapy, food and nutrition, metabolic and hormone imbalances and digestive disorders.
Being a naturopathic doctor has proven to be an especially rewarding experience to Dr. Tara Clapp, ND as it allows her to take part in people’s transformation and realization of their health potential. Consequently, Dr. Tara Clapp, ND continually updates her skills through new courses and conferences, and uses this information to better her clients.
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND is a dedicated and caring physician, taking personal interest in her clients’ health and life.
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND has a passion for self-development programs that push her beyond regular physical and mental performance. Dr. Tara Clapp, ND enjoys practicing yoga and meditation, has a love of photography, and relaxes by scrapbooking and enjoying long walks with her dog.