There’s been some buzz around sourdough lately with the idea that it’s better than, or healthier than, regular bread. Let’s look at what might or might not make this true. Watch or read along to find out more.
Is Sourdough Healthier Than Regular Bread?
What is healthy?
First off – I don’t like to label food “healthy” or “not healthy” because one individual food is such a small part of the whole story of health. We need more information: How much of that food is being eaten? And how often? And what other foods are being eaten? So, there’s my little soapbox about labeling foods as “healthy”, and now on to sourdough⤵️
Sourdough bread can be a better choice for trying to avoid emulsifiers:
➡️ Sourdough usually has fewer ingredients, which means it can have fewer of the emulsifiers that are common in a regular loaf of grocery store bread. And we are learning that these emulsifiers aren’t so great for our gut microbiome. So to use sourdough bread to avoid these emulsifiers double check your label and look for sourdough with just flour, water, salt and sourdough starter.
Sourdough bread can be a better choice for some, but not all who want to avoid gut issues:
➡️ For those with gut issues sourdough can often be better tolerated than regular wheat bread. The fermentation process that happens with making sourdough breaks down the carbohydrates from the wheat enough that they aren’t as irritating to those who are sensitive to those kind of carbohydrates (called fructans). Being sensitive to the carbohydrates in wheat is different than not tolerating the gluten in wheat. Those with Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance wouldn’t find sourdough any easier on their digestive tract than regular bread.
Sourdough bread isn’t usually a better choice if you’re after whole grains:
➡️ A lot of sourdough bread is made with refined white wheat flour just like most regular grocery store bread. But that’s ok. Yes, whole grains are great for us and if you’re not getting them in your sourdough bread, you can just be sure to get them in elsewhere – oats, buckwheat, brown rice, corn, quinoa, etc. The goal is to make half of the grains you eat whole grains.
So, depending on what you’re looking for, sourdough might be a good choice. If you’ve never had it it could be worth a try, but it’s also not a requirement of “healthy eating” if you don’t prefer it.
Check back next week for more helpful nutrition tips.
Amy Slabaugh, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counseling serving Oakland, the Bay Area and all of California. She offers online nutrition counseling as well as in-person workplace wellness services. She specializes in gut health, Intuitive Eating and weight neutral nutrition care.
