What you need to know!

Sourdough bread is unique, delicious and loaded with health benefits for our body. And since it is growing in popularity, many people are trying their best to make a healthier choice and include this tasty bread in their daily diets. Sourdough probiotics are essential for digestion and promote good gut health compared to other breads. This is just one of the many health benefits that sourdough bread offers, so let's take a look at what else you need to know!

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Does sourdough bread have probiotics?

Technically, sourdough bread starts with probiotics that are present during the fermentation process. The fermentation process also aids in spoilage phytic acidmaking it easier for you to digest, since that's what the starter is pretty much made of.

Unfortunately, during the baking process, the good bacteria die due to exposure to high temperatures. Although fully matured, Sourdough bread does not contain probiotics. But it still contains a good nutritional content of vitamins and minerals, which are very useful for your gut, making digestion easier. Therefore, this is why it is always held in such high esteem.

What are probiotics doing in sourdough bread?

The probiotics in sourdough are derived from starter, which is an essential ingredient in sourdough bread. Starter is used as a leavening agent to create yeast bread and contains a variety of bacteria or yeast that are good for your gut.

These bacteria and yeasts come from:

1. What is naturally found in flour
2. What is found naturally in the air around it

These naturally occurring bacteria and yeasts feed on the sugars and starches found in flour.

Once a batch of fresh flour is added to your sourdough bread starter, the bacteria feed on the extra food and they do a number of things when they eat the flour:

• Reduction of phytic acid in wheat
• Before dissolving the flour
• Lower the glycemic index of bread
• Lactic acid production

Reduction of phytic acid in wheat

Phytic acid is found in all grains including wheat grains. It prevents the body from effectively absorbing nutrients when they are presented in large quantities.

The bacteria and yeast in sourdough significantly lower the phytic acid in the wheat compared to conventional bread, essentially improving the nutrients so they are ready to enter our bodies.

Before dissolving the flour

Bacteria and wild yeast pre-digest the flour, consuming its sugar elements before it is ready to be baked.

This results in a healthy happy gut as some of the more difficult tasks are completed before it reaches our digestive system.

Lower the glycemic index of bread

The bacteria and yeasts found in the starter consume the sugars, allowing the sourdough bread to have a low GI than other commercial yeast breads.

Eating foods with a lower glycemic index can keep you fuller for longer, which is another great nutritional benefit of sourdough bread.

Lactic acid production

When feeding on bacteria and yeast, lactic acid is produced. Lactic acid bacteria provides sourdough bread with it wonderful sharp flavorsalthough it also protects bread from growing mold and other harmful bacteria.

This is one of the reasons why homemade sourdough bread tends to last a little longer than other homemade breads, as it naturally contains mold-resistant properties.

Does sourdough bread have prebiotics?

Although probiotics are unable to survive the high heat during the baking process, sourdough bread will definitely contain prebiotics. These are just as good for gut health and, luckily, sourdough has plenty of it.

Prebiotics are able to survive the intense heat of baking and are a type of fiber that our gut bacteria use as a food source. Once the bacteria in our gut feed on these prebiotics, they release beneficial nutrients into our bodies, making them an ideal choice over conventional bread.

The best dough for gut health

In general, sourdough bread is much better for gut health than other breads that undergo a special fermentation process using commercial yeast.

But if you really want to get into the heart and soul of sourdough bread, you'll find that some types of sourdough bread are easier to digest than others, due to their grain structure.

Whole grains are much easier to digest than wheat varieties, and if you suffer from digestive problems as a result of other breads, then you may want to try:

To get the most out of the nutrients in sourdough bread, it's best to eat a variety of ancient sourdough breads, as they are much easier for the body to break down.

Fiber in sourdough bread

Prebiotics are a type of soluble fiber, but sourdough happens to contain other fibers such as:

• Insoluble fiber
• Resistant starch

Insoluble fiber

This is usually found in wheat bran and is not absorbed or fermented through the intestines. Instead, it acts as a bulking agent to help flush out waste, leaving your gut healthy. These are some of the many benefits of sourdough bread.

Resistant starch

Resistant starch is a type of fiber that comes with its own list of nutritional benefits for the body, including:

• Improved insulin sensitivity
• Lowering blood sugar levels
• Reduced appetite

Sourdough bread contains more resistant starch than white bread, due to the prolonged fermentation process.

If you are planning to increase your starch and resistant fiber levels, then you may want to choose whole wheat sourdough varieties over perhaps white sourdough.

The good bacteria and yeasts visible at the beginning of the sourdough are what make this bread incredibly nutritious.

After all

If you are someone who suffers from a sensitive gut, then you may want to include some sourdough bread in your diet. The good bacteria in this bread make it much easier for your body to digest, so you stay full without the discomfort you're used to feeling from eating other types of bread.

Frequently asked questions