The Bread Debate: Understanding Its Impact on Health

The Hidden Truth About Modern Bread

Hey Lansing readers, I want to talk to you today about bread. It is a delicious food, and we all love bread, but we have to be careful. Bread is not what it used to be.  Bread is a highly refined processed hunk of basically sugar. That’s what it is. Bread is a whole bunch of complex carbohydrates, yes, but it’s not the same as a whole food like rice or potato. Bread is going to break quickly apart into glucose units very rapidly, and that goes to the liver and our liver has to decide what the heck am I going to do with this? Can I burn it off? If not it has to change that glucose into triglyceride to get it prepared for where- fat storage- so a lot of your bread is going to quickly go to fat storage because most of us are not elite athletes. We’re not running marathons. We’re not active enough to burn it off readily. 

Wheat’s Evolution: From Natural Grain to Frankenfood

Most bread is made from wheat.  And that is a huge genetically modified crop. Modern farming in the U.S.  has produced very, I would call Franken foods, very processed crops. And one of those is wheat. As a GMO crop, it’s going to be heavily sprayed with pesticide- I mean heavily. 

U.S. Wheat vs. European Wheat: The Gluten and Glyphosate Concern

Wheat that you’re consuming is not the same as wheat 100 or 200 years ago, or like the wheat in the rest of the world, even in Europe. 

U.S. wheat has been bred to cultivate higher gluten content, which is deemed better for bread as it makes the loaf fluffier. However, this higher gluten content can be a concern for those sensitive to gluten. Additionally, non-organic U.S. wheat is often treated with glyphosate, a herbicide, which might lead to nutrient deficiencies in the wheat. In contrast, many European nations and cities have restrictions on the use of glyphosate​.

Decoding ‘Whole Grain’ Labels: What You’re Really Eating

So in other words, our wheat is a highly refined product. There’s almost no fiber and in fact, your whole grain bread labels are misleading. When you see “whole grain” on a label, the USDA allows manufacturers to put 2% Whole grains in that product and label it whole grain so you might be getting 98%  white flour. 

The Yeast Problem: How Bread Contributes to Yeast Overgrowth

Another concern for our health is that  bread has a lot of yeast in it. So many people nowadays have a huge problem with yeast overgrowth, so adding more in your diet doesn’t help. Unless you break that cycle, it’s going to be really tough to heal your body.

Healthy Alternatives: Choosing the Right Bread for Your Diet

Pacha Breads sells a variety of gluten-free, grain-free, sprouted, fermented, paleo, and plant-based breads. This bread is made from organic ingredients. If you’d like a healthy bread option give this brand a try.

You can check Lansing area stores like Better Health, Whole Foods, or Foods for Living, or order online.

Be Well!

Dr. Jason McCammom

Board certified Naturopathic doctor in Lansing, MI