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| 3 Breads You Can Eat At Any Time |
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| Tuesday, 12 August 2008 16:50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There is no difference between white, whole wheat, or whole gain bread, so what is all the craziness about. YOU CAN EAT ANY SLICED 40-70 CALORIE-THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. Part 1: How did the low carb craze become so crazy that we are all afraid to eat a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch?
Part 2: the confusion between whole grain bread and the other whole grain products:
To answer these questions you need to know the differences between the flours that make the bread and the evidence that eating one has advantages over another. Flour is the product obtained by grinding wheat kernels or "berries." The kernel consists of three distinct parts: bran, the outer covering of the grain; germ, the embryo contained inside the kernel; and endosperm, the part of the kernel that makes white flour.
During milling, the three parts are separated and recombined to achieve different types of flours. Whole grain is composed of the entire kernel - the bran, germ and endosperm. White is milled from only the endosperm and whole wheat bread or “brown bread” is is a combination of the two.
What is "whole grain? Whole grain consists of the endosperm, brand and germ in about the same proportions as in the intact grain. There is no bleaching or refining. The Whole Grains Council developed a visual maker to signal products that contain significant amounts of whole grain. Every product that bears the stamp must have at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving.
The nutritional difference in white, whole wheat and whole grain breads are almostsame: Here is the surprise: The claims that there are "vast differences" in fiber, and protein does not bear out. Below is the average composition based on the US Department of Agriculture data:
Reviewing this data and even comparing the breads made by different manufactures, I find few differences other than a little more fiber. Certainly, it's "not vast amounts." Other studies report averages of 1 gram of fiber in white bread, and 2 grams of fiber in whole wheat.
The mineral and vitamin content of whole grain and enriched white bread is almost identical: Because some of the missing nutrients are added back to the white bread after refining the differences are not very much. For example from the U.S.D.A.:
Does a 1 or 2 grams of fiber and a few milligrams(1/1000 of a gram) make any difference in the real world? Clearly NO Do Americans on "normal" diets have deficiencies in minerals and vitamins so that these minimal differences in a slice of bread make a difference? All of the recent data on vitamin and mineral research say, NO. Unless a person is pregnant,or an alcoholic, on some very unusual diet, or has an underlying gastrointestinal disease our normal foods have adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins. Extra vitamins and minerals are not needed from a vitamin pill and certainly not from a slice of two of bread which supply so little compared to our requirements. The Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar. Carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion releasing glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. For most people, foods with a low GI have significant health benefits. The concept was developed by Dr. David J. Jenkins and colleagues in 1980–1981 at the University of Toronto in their research to find out which foods were best for people with diabetes. A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the foods' carbohydrates and less effect on insulin and the conversion of carbs to fat. For example chocolate cake has a glycemic index of 80-100, candy 80 plus, vegetables less than 20. The glycemic index of refined white bread and whole grain breads are almost
What does all this bread data mean? There is very little differences between a slice or two of white, whole wheat or whole grain bread in terms of calories, protein, carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals and glycemic index.Whether a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato is made with white bread, whole wheat or whole grain should not be much of an issue for the dieter. There are far more important issues to work on.
In part 2, further evidence that there is no meaningful difference in white vs. whole grain breads regarding body weight, cardiovascular or metabolic effects is presented.
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| Last Updated on Friday, 01 May 2009 11:55 |
White bread, whole wheat or whole grain are 
eating three or more servings of whole grain products during a "normal" day.)
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