I’m sure there are many of you who remember making sandwiches with IronKids white bread when you were young. So delicious, with all the benefits of wheat! But now white bread is under the microscope, criticized for being highly processed and not containing many nutrients. Apparently, it is not so healthy after all. Wheat bread is a viable substitute.
Wheat bread is higher than white in folic acid, fiber and many vitamins. Fiber has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease as well as keeping you fuller for longer. In a 10-year Harvard study, men and women who consumed more wheat bread than white had fewer heart attacks and strokes. You are 20 percent less likely to suffer from heart disease if you switch from white bread to wheat.
Even though white bread is enriched, the processing it goes through leaches it of its essential fatty acids and fiber. Also, you would have to eat 8 slices of white bread to get the fiber of wheat. Most Americans only consume one-third of the recommended amount of fiber daily, so this is important.
Some researchers also think that the flour in white bread can contribute to developing diabetes. A chemical called alloxan, which makes white bread look cleaner and whiter, is responsible for destroying the beta cells of the pancreas. When these cells fail to work normally, the result is that they don’t produce enough insulin.
It’s clear that eating whole grains and staying away from processed white bread can have a positive effect on health. To be on the safe side, try to only have white bread occasionally.
