Yes, sourdough contains the gut-friendly lactobacillus bacteria, but the high heat of baking destroys these probiotics. So, unless you'd like to eat the raw dough, sourdough is not a probiotic food. However, it does have some digestive benefits.
Improved Digestive Health
According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines.
Sourdough. Sourdough is easier on the stomach than other kinds of bread due to its prebiotics, making it easier to digest. Additionally, sourdough contains probiotics that are created during its fermentation process: Yes, there's a science to sourdough starter.
Scientists, nutritionists, and health experts all agree that naturally-fermented sourdough bread is healthier than 'regular' white or whole wheat bread – for a multitude of reasons! Sourdough is more nutritious, easier to digest, and has a lower glycemic index. Sourdough also contains less gluten than other bread.
Similar to other fermented foods such as sauerkraut , kefir and pickles, sourdough bread is fermented by using lactobacillus cultures, which are gut-healthy probiotics . The cultures don't survive the baking process (bummer!), but lactic acid is created (bonus!), and that does the body a whole lot of good.
"Let's talk about my favorite bread for digestion and gut health: Sourdough bread. Sourdough is incredible because these microbes are transforming the flour," Dr. Bulsiewicz explains in the Instagram Reel, referring to the way the wild yeasts react with the flour and water in the sourdough starter.
The best sourdough and rye bread varieties to reduce gut inflammation are those made from whole grains. However, if you are intolerant to gluten, you'll want to opt for gluten-free bread options to ease any gut inflammation, since neither sourdough bread nor rye bread are gluten-free.
Sourdough contains a variety of vitamins and nutrients, making it super beneficial to your day-to-day health. Sourdough bread has small to moderate amounts of: iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E.
Sourdough bread contains lactic acid, which can help reduce inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can lead to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Adding sourdough bread to your diet can help reduce inflammation and promote overall health.
Again, the number of calories will also be slightly lower due to the carbohydrates levels being slightly lower for sourdough breads. Fats are naturally low in sourdough bread and will be pretty much the same as other breads. If you do want to increase your fat intake, have the bread with lashings of butter.
Digestive Health
Greek yogurt is probiotic, meaning it is typically produced with live bacterial cultures. These bacteria can help support the good bacteria that already live in your digestive system. Consuming probiotics like Greek yogurt may improve your digestive system's ability to handle a wide variety of foods.
You certainly can toast sourdough bread. I love to toast my soft sandwich bread or multigrain bread in the morning. Add a little butter and jam or avocado, and it makes a perfect side to your eggs. I'll also toast my sourdough French bread with butter and garlic for the perfect garlic bread side dish.
Traditional sourdough undergoes a slow fermentation process, the result of which is an increase in the bioavailability of the bread's vitamins and minerals. This process also starts the breakdown of protein (including gluten), making sourdough easier to digest.
Typically, probiotics are in cheeses that have been aged but not heated afterward. This includes both soft and hard cheeses, including Swiss, provolone, Gouda, cheddar, Edam, Gruyère, and cottage cheese.
“Yogurt is associated with decreased inflammation, decreased insulin resistance and it may prevent type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Hu says. Nutrition researchers believe yogurt's anti-inflammatory power comes from the probiotics it contains, but that has yet to be confirmed with rigorous trials, he says.
In sourdough, the lactic acid bacteria produce an enzyme called phytase, which effectively 'pre-digests' the phytic acid during the extended fermentation. This partially neutralises the effects of the phytic acid and makes the bread easy for us to digest.
Apparently, sourdough bread is actually good for your microbiome & the health of your gut. Sourdough bread goes through a fermentation process unlike other types of breads, because it's made with lactobacillus cultures. You can think of it as similar to foods like kimchi or yogurt or even kombucha (seriously!).
How much sourdough bread is a healthy amount to consume in a day? It is currently recommended to consume 6 servings of grains per day. One sourdough slice of bread is equal to one serving.
The high protein content of sourdough not only helps keep you feeling full for a longer period of time, eating plenty of protein is also key to building and maintaining muscle mass. For an even greater protein bump, try making whole wheat sourdough bread.
Unlike most fruits, avocados are a good source of vitamin E, a micronutrient with anti-inflammatory effects. Diets high in these compounds are linked to decreased risk of the joint damage seen in early OA. Studies also show eating avocados daily increases “good” HDL cholesterol and lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol.
LAB (including those commonly found in sourdough bread) produce beneficial compounds: antioxidants (7), the cancer-preventive peptide lunasin (8), and anti-allergenic substances, some of which may help in the treatment of auto-immune diseases (9).
Actually, the opposite is true. Based on the body of science, dairy foods like milk, yogurt and cheese do not cause inflammation and can be a part of anti-inflammatory diets.