Wholegrain, Rye or Whitebread - which is really healthy?

In the bakeries and grocery stores there are hundreds of different kinds of bread for sale, everything from whitebread to multi-grain breads.  But what is in German bread and how healthy are the slices?

The French and Italians show us the way: they eat a lot of bread, not only for breakfast and dinner, but also as a side dish to whole meals.  This is the correct way according to nutritions expert  Prof. Hademar Bankhofer, as bread is one of the healthiest things you can eat.

The secret: many types of bread contain a lot of fibre. Fibre does not only make you full, but it also acts as a natural medicine: it can stimulate the digestion, prevent cancer and even sink your level of cholesterol.  In order to digest fibres, the intestinal tract really has to work, which brings your digestion to a high level and can hinder blockages.

During the digestive process fibres also bring special bacteria into the intestinal tract.  These bacteria enhance the natural bacteria already found in the intestines that are responsible for the general health.  These bacteria drop the level of cholesterol in the body in a completely natural way.  Within the intestines, bile is combined and then shed from the body.  Before it is shed however, the bile takes up excessive cholesterol and is removed from the body at the same time.  Through this process, the cholesterol level in the blood is reduced.

Bread is also an important provider of carbohydrates and contains vital minerals and vitamins.  The carbohydrates create energy, they work as fuel for the body.  Carbohydrates stimulate the entire process of digestion and drive the processes of the body, deliver energy to the muscles and enhance our mental capacity.

The most important minerals in bread are: calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.  Calcium and magnesium keep our muscles working, phosphorus strengthens our bones and teeth.  Also found in a slice of bread are many B-vitamins.  Those that are under constant stress should regularly reach for a sandwich as B-vitamins strengthen nerves and concentration and in doing this, reduce stress.

Why is the crust particularly healthy?

Freshly baked, delightfully crispy brown breadcrusts are not only delicious but also very healthy according to Prof. Hademar Bankhofer.

Researchers of the Scientific Academy for Nutrional Chemistry in Garchingen have made a new discovery: the crust of bread contains so called Melanoidines and Pronyl-Lysine.  Meladoidines are substances that protect us from environmental poisons and keep our cells young.  In addition to this, they also help the body rid itself of poisonous substances, fight against viruses and potentially harmful bacteria.  Pronyl-Lysine strengthens the body in order to protect itself against free-radicals and also helps to protect our cells from destruction or fast degeneration.

Fresh bread-crusts can also make you feel happier.  The reason: during the baking process, according to Prof. Hademar Bankhofer, substances are created that act like non-harmful opiates.  These substances are tiny mood enhancers, as they improve our mental health and through this, make us happy.

Why are a lot of people allergic to whole-grain breads?

Multi-grain bread is extremely healthy, but many people can get stomachaches, gas and sometimes painful cramps.  The reasons for this according to Prof. Hademar Bankhofer, are the following:

The most common reason is that whole-grain bread contains rye but is not baked with natural sourdough.  Though wheat bread is baked with yeast, rye breads must be baked using natural sourdough.  The reason for this is that Lectine is found in the outer layers of the rye grain.  This Lectine leads to a strong buildup of gas during the digestive process.  Only with naturally created sourdough are acids formed that kill this Lectine and prevent the buildup of gas.

Tip: When buy whole-grain breads, make sure that the bread has been baked with  natural sourdough so that it is healthy and doesnt lead to potential problems. This is guaranteed to be healthy and will not cause a stomachache.  It is best to ask the baker if he/she uses natural sourdough or is using a pre-manufactured mix, as you can only be sure that the bread will not be hard to tolerate is by knowing that the process was completely natural.

A further reason can also be that the bread was still too fresh.  A very fresh whole-grain bread can lead to a so call "stretching pain"in sensitive persons.  The reason: whole-grain bread continues to rise within the body, i.e. it expands in the stomache.  Through this process, gasses build up in the stomache and intestinal tract and one is subject to a taut stomach and strong flatulence.

Tip: Only eat whole-grain bread a day after it has been baked, that way it has time to rise completely.  Generally, bakers sell their whole-grain breads a day after they have been baked.