Bread has taken quite a beating over the years.
It has been blamed for expanding waistlines, blood sugar spikes, bloating and the dreaded afternoon slump. Meanwhile, supermarket shelves have filled with sourdough, spelt, rye, multigrain, protein, low-carb and gluten-free loaves, each seemingly promising to be the better choice.
Now a major new study has put whole grains firmly back in the nutritional spotlight.
Published this month in the European Heart Journal, a systematic review and meta-analysis brought together 87 randomised clinical trials involving 6,529 people to examine what eating more whole grains actually does to some of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The results were striking, although not enormous.
Higher whole-grain intake was associated with modest reductions in body weight, waist circumference and total cholesterol, with the researchers rating the evidence for those outcomes as high certainty. They also found improvements in LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose and systolic blood pressure, where the evidence was rated moderate certainty.
And there appeared to be a sweet spot. Benefits were evident at around 30–40g of whole grains a day, but the strongest effects for most measures were generally seen around 60–100g a day by dry weight. The European Society of Cardiology puts that at roughly four to six servings of whole grains across the day.
There’s an important qualification. The trials looked at cardiovascular risk factors, not whether eating whole grains actually resulted in fewer heart attacks or strokes. The researchers also cautioned that the certainty of evidence varied and there wasn’t enough evidence at very high intakes to draw firm conclusions about an ideal dose.
Still, it raises a very practical question.
If you’re standing in the supermarket bread aisle, which loaf should you actually buy?
Because wholegrain, wholemeal, multigrain, sourdough, spelt, low GI and high protein can sound reassuringly healthy without necessarily telling you the whole story.
Here’s how 13 popular breads stack up.
The new research gives wholegrain an obvious place to start.
Unlike refined flour, wholegrain retains the bran, germ and endosperm. That means more of the naturally occurring fibre, vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds remain.
The latest meta-analysis found that each additional 48g a day of whole grain, measured by dry weight, was associated with small but measurable improvements across several cardiovascular risk markers.
That doesn’t turn a wholegrain sandwich into medicine. But combined with existing Australian dietary advice favouring wholegrain and high-fibre grain foods, it strengthens the case for making wholegrain your regular choice rather than something you occasionally buy when you’re feeling virtuous.
The verdict: A strong everyday choice. Check that whole grains feature prominently in the ingredients rather than judging the loaf by how brown or grainy it looks.
Wholemeal and wholegrain aren’t opposing camps.
Wholemeal flour uses the whole grain but mills it to a finer texture. Nutritionally, a good wholemeal loaf can still deliver much of what we’re looking for from whole grains without the seeds and chewy texture some people dislike.
The verdict: Don’t downgrade it because you can’t see the grains. Check the ingredients and fibre content.
Sourdough’s reputation has exploded, but the word itself isn’t a nutritional guarantee.
Traditional sourdough uses fermentation, which can change the structure and digestibility of the bread. But what went into the dough still matters.
A white sourdough made predominantly from refined flour doesn’t suddenly acquire the fibre and nutrients of wholegrain bread because it has been fermented.
Put the two together, however — traditional fermentation and wholegrain flour — and you’ve got a very interesting loaf.
The verdict: If you love sourdough, look for a wholegrain version rather than assuming every artisan-looking sourdough is nutritionally equal.
This may be the most interesting bread on our list.
Spelt is an older species of wheat and tends to contain less of the fermentable carbohydrate fructan than modern wheat. Traditional sourdough fermentation can reduce FODMAP content further because microorganisms consume some of those fermentable carbohydrates during fermentation.
That means traditionally fermented spelt sourdough may be better tolerated by some people with IBS or sensitivity to fructans.
But there’s an important catch. Spelt is still wheat and contains gluten.
It isn’t suitable for someone with coeliac disease, regardless of how traditionally it has been fermented.
The verdict: An interesting option for some sensitive stomachs, particularly when traditionally fermented, but don’t confuse low FODMAP with gluten-free.
A dense wholegrain rye is a very different proposition from fluffy white sandwich bread.
Wholegrain rye can provide plenty of fibre and make for a satisfying meal, but don’t judge rye by colour alone. Some dark breads contain refined flour, colouring or only a proportion of rye.
And for people managing IBS, rye isn’t automatically interchangeable with spelt sourdough because its FODMAP profile can be quite different.
The verdict: Wholegrain rye can be an excellent fibre-rich choice. Read the ingredients rather than buying according to colour.
Few words on a bread packet sound healthier than multigrain.
Unfortunately, they don’t necessarily mean what shoppers think they mean.
Multigrain simply means more than one grain has been used. A bread can still be based largely on refined white flour with various grains and seeds added.
In other words: Multigrain does not automatically mean wholegrain.
The verdict: Ignore the rustic-looking grains scattered over the crust. Turn the bag around and find out what’s actually in it.
The glycaemic index describes how carbohydrate-containing foods affect blood glucose after eating.
A lower-GI bread can therefore be useful for people wanting to manage their blood glucose response, but GI doesn’t tell you everything about a food.
Fibre, wholegrain content, sodium, portion size and what you put between the slices still matter.
The verdict: A useful attribute, particularly when blood glucose is a consideration, but don’t make it your only test.
What if you’ve tried grainy bread repeatedly and simply don’t like it?
Some white breads contain added fibre, giving people who prefer the texture of white bread another option.
That doesn’t make them nutritionally identical to a minimally refined wholegrain loaf, because refining removes components beyond fibre. But it’s a reminder that bread choices don’t have to be perfect to be improved.
The verdict: For committed white-bread eaters, compare fibre between products. There can be considerable differences.
White bread doesn’t deserve some of the hysteria surrounding it.
It remains a grain food, but refining wheat removes the bran and germ, taking much of its naturally occurring fibre and other components with them.
That’s particularly relevant in light of the new whole-grain research, which adds to the case for replacing at least some refined grain foods with wholegrain alternatives.
That doesn’t mean a slice of white toast is going to ruin your diet.
The verdict: Fine as part of an overall balanced diet, but wholegrain and high-fibre breads generally offer more.
Welcome to one of the fastest-growing corners of the bread aisle.
Protein and low-carb loaves can contain seeds, nuts, added fibres and protein-rich ingredients, and some have impressive nutritional profiles.
But “low carb” isn’t another way of saying “healthy”.
Compare fibre, protein, sodium and energy as well as carbohydrate, and look at what’s actually providing the bulk of the loaf.
The verdict: Potentially useful. Judge the bread, not the buzzword.
For someone with coeliac disease, avoiding gluten isn’t a wellness trend. It’s medically necessary.
For everybody else, however, “gluten-free” doesn’t automatically mean healthier.
Gluten-free breads vary enormously in ingredients, wholegrain content and fibre, just as conventional breads do.
And remember our spelt sourdough: despite its healthy reputation and potential FODMAP advantages, spelt contains gluten.
The verdict: Essential when medically required. Otherwise, judge the loaf on what’s actually in it.
A wrap filled with chicken and salad certainly looks lighter than a hefty sandwich.
Appearances can be deceiving.
Some large wraps represent a surprisingly substantial serving of grain food, so compare the weight and nutrition panel rather than assuming one wrap is automatically lighter than two slices of bread.
Those green spinach and red tomato wraps deserve the same scrutiny. Colour doesn’t tell you how much vegetable, fibre or whole grain you’re actually getting.
The verdict: Perfectly legitimate choice. Just don’t let shape fool you about portion size.
Brioche is delicious for a reason.
Traditional recipes contain ingredients such as butter and eggs, while other sweet breads may contain considerably more added sugar and fat than an everyday wholegrain loaf.
That doesn’t make them forbidden. It simply makes comparing brioche with wholegrain sandwich bread a little unfair.
The verdict: Enjoy it for what it is rather than buying it for its health credentials.
You don’t need a nutrition degree to make a better choice.
Next time you’re standing in the bread aisle, ignore the wheat fields, earthy packaging and reassuring words on the front for a moment.
Turn it over.
Check the grain. Look for wholegrain or wholemeal ingredients rather than assuming multigrain means the same thing.
Check the fibre. Compare similar breads per 100g rather than relying on the claims splashed across the packet.
Check the sodium. Bread is something many of us eat frequently, so differences between brands can add up.
Check the serving size. Particularly with oversized slices, dense speciality breads and wraps.
Then consider what matters to you.
If you’re looking to increase whole grains and fibre, wholegrain and wholemeal make obvious sense. If blood glucose is a concern, GI and portion size become more relevant. If IBS and fructans are an issue, traditionally fermented spelt sourdough may be worth investigating.
And if you have coeliac disease, spelt and ordinary sourdough remain off the menu because they contain gluten.
The new European Heart Journal research doesn’t prove that eating more whole grains will stop you having a heart attack. What it does show is that across 87 randomised trials, higher whole-grain intake produced modest improvements in a surprisingly broad range of the risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular health.
Perhaps we’ve spent too much time asking whether bread is good or bad.
The more useful question is simpler: What’s actually in the loaf you’re buying?
Comments 0
Join the conversation. Comments are reviewed before they appear.
Be the first to comment.
Join the conversation
Tell us who you are to post a comment. We'll remember you next time.