Originally published January 22 2011
Superfood breads are realistic
by Paul Fassa
(NaturalNews) There have been several studies concluding that sourdough bread is the healthiest type of commercial bread available. How and why is presented in this article. The benefits seem to parallel sprouted grain brains, which will also be referenced in this article. Perhaps the healthiest bread would be a combination of these two types, sprouted sourdough.
What Makes Sourdough Bread Different
Regular breads use yeast to rapidly expand the dough mixed for bread. The yeast creates a gas that expands rapidly. So baking with a yeast base is faster. Consider the word yeast and all it implies.
Sourdough is a fermented culture combining friendly yeast and bacteria. This becomes the starter culture for making sourdough bread. The process of fermenting the culture makes the baking process slower than yeast based baking.
Fermented foods are often healthier than their unfermented versions. For example, all the health problems caused by soy products are removed in tempeh, which is fermented soy. The cultures for yogurt and kefir are created by a fermentation process.
Health Benefits of Sourdough
Sourdough breaks down gluten, allowing some wheat sensitive consumers to enjoy bread that tastes good and is not too expensive. But many researchers consider sourdough rye to contain even more nutrition than sourdough wheat breads.
Research has shown that using the sourdough culture for making bread increases the bread`s nutritional impact beyond yeast produced bread. The sourdough process makes starches more digestible by predigesting them, and it lowers insulin resistance while increasing glucose tolerance.
The most controversial benefit is phytic acid or phytate reduction. Phytates are salts derived from phytic acid contained in grains, legumes, and nuts. These phytates bind with several different minerals, including magnesium, and inhibit mineral absorption into the body.
There are two points of view on phytates. Some say we need all the minerals we can get. Anything that inhibits mineral absorption should be at least reduced. Others say phytates have antioxidant and cancer fighting benefits and inhibit excess iron. But even this camp seems to agree that the mineral blocking aspect of phytates can adversely affect those who are mineral deficient.
And who is not mineral deficient? Magnesium, the most important essential mineral for human health, is deficient among most of the civilized population. Magnesium is essential for over 300 different metabolic events in the body. So the phytate factor is a mixed bag nutritionally.
Completely eliminating phytates may not be wise or even possible. Well, the cultured sourdough process does not completely eliminate phytates. It reduces them. Since most of us tend to be mineral deficient, reducing phytates can allow us to have our bread and eat it too.
Sprouted Grains
All sprouted grains, seeds, and legumes have one thing in common: Higher nutrient density. Sprouting converts a starchy food into a virtual vegetable, easier to digest and more nutritious than its source. So why bring this up?
Combining a sourdough culture with sprouted organic grain flour looks like an extremely healthy choice for bread. It`s a little more pricey, but not out of range for most who are health conscious.
However, if you love to prepare food, you can make your own. There are sources available on the internet for the enterprising foodie to make your own sourdough sprouted bread. All you need to do is use an organic sprouted grain or wheat flour with the sourdough culture process. (Sourdough, source below)
Sources for more information include:
Sourdough (tells you how to make your own sourdough culture) http://www.ranprieur.com/misc/sourdough.html
Why sourdough is good for you http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/03/05...
Balancing the mixed reviews on phytates or phytic acid http://livefitblog.com/2009/09/23/are-phytat...
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Sprouting eliminates the health issues of grains
http://www.naturalnews.com/028578_grains_hea...
About the author
Paul Fassa is dedicated to warning others about the current corruption of food and medicine and guiding others toward a direction for better health with no restrictions on health freedom. You can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com
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