The Health Benefits of Sourdough

|The Health Benefits of Sourdough|

You’d think I would have written about the health benefits of sourdough a long time ago right?? I mean it only makes sense since I am so passionate about teaching the why behind the sourdough…

But alas, here we are 2 years after starting this blog and I am just now getting to it.

Why am I just now writing about the health benefits of sourdough? Well to be honest, it’s because I knew this was going to be more work than just writing a recipe.

I knew I was going to have to look up sources and cite them and be more “scientific” and in depth. Which just sounds like a lot of work to articulate what I know to be true in my core; that sourdough is healthier than conventional grains.

You may wonder, why I am so confident in soured breads health benefits.

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It boils down to a few things:

• I have seen first hand the effects that conventional (i.e non-soured grains) have on a compromised immune system. The conventional bread products cause constipation, agitation, and emotional behavior. However in the same person with the same compromised immune system, the sourdough bread products promote healthy bowel movements, don’t cause any change in behavior or rationality and keep them full longer.
• The science behind it just makes sense. There have been various studies about the digestibility of sourdough that have all concluded that it is easier to digest.
• I also firmly believe in the history of it and that God created these grains to just what they do; harbor their own colony of yeasts to raise bread and neutralize antinutrients.

So now that you know the gist of why I believe so strongly in baking exclusively with sourdough (i.e wild yeast) let me go further in depth and grab a few studies to share with you.

Phytic acid and Antinutrients

Phytic acid is an antinutrient that can bind with other minerals and proteins and change the way that they are absorbed and utilized by the body. All grains, nuts, and seeds have varying amounts of phytic acid.

In this study, they measured the amounts of phytic acid present in three different flours and found that the most refined flour (the flour with the most bran removed) had the least amount of phytic acid whereas the wholegrain flour (with the most bran) had the highest levels of phytic acid. This makes sense considering the bran is what stores the phytic acid.

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In that same study, they then took those three different flours and made bread with them using three different methods. They made bread with a direct yeast method, an indirect yeast method, and with a sourdough method.

The study found that while regular packaged yeast does degrade phytic acid some (38% reduced), the addition of sourdough was much more efficient (68% and greater reduced) at neutralizing the phytic acid.

They also found that in some flours (the more refined ones with less bran) after fermentation with sourdough and baking, the final bread had no detectable phytic acid whatsoever. (source)

Sourdough and Digestibility

When making sourdough bread it goes through an initial fermentation period (the bulk rise or bulk fermentation) and then a second fermentation (the proofing or proving period). During these fermentation periods the bread undergoes changes in it’s composition. Just like most veggies, fermenting the bread makes it easier for our bodies to digest.

In this study they tested the insulin response to sourdough whole wheat bread to that of non-soured whole wheat bread (i.e conventional whole wheat bread) in insulin resistant subjects. They found that the sourdough bread resulted in the lowest glucose and insulin response in all of the subjects.

So we can conclude that sourdough bread would be a better choice for those who experience insulin resistance or spikes and crashes. Which in turn means it is easier to digest and leaves us feeling full longer.

Sourdough and Gluten

I often hear people ask if sourdough contains gluten. And the short answer is YES.

So if you are a true celiac sufferer then no, you should not eat sourdough bread. However if you are only gluten sensitive, I’d say it’s worth a try! Read on to get bread nerdy with me and understand why I think it’s worth trying 😉

There are two protein components to gluten; gliadin and glutenin. They each have different jobs. Gliadin is responsible for the extensibility and sticky properties of gluten whereas glutenin is responsible for the strength and elasticity of the dough. When these proteins are mixed with water they combine and form Gluten. (source)

Gliadin is the protein that often triggers our immune system and causes a reaction to the gluten and every gluten containing grain has varying amounts of glutenin and gliadin. Some grains like modern hybridized wheat have higher amounts of gliadin, while some other grains like the ancient Einkorn have lower amounts of gliadin and higher amounts of glutenin. THIS is why many gluten sensitive people find that they can tolerate Einkorn or Rye but not Wheat.

So if you are gluten sensitive, maybe try sourdough bread with a grain known to have more glutenin than gliadian (einkorn or rye for example).

If you’d like to read more on this, or the history of bread and sourdough, a really great book is In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Bakers Odyssey by Samuel Fromartz. The book is well written, interesting and thorough in its subjects. It follows him all across the world in different bakeries and homes learning about history, science, and art of the baking world. I highly recommend it.

Conclusion

With the science behind it, my personal experience, and belief that it’s just better to use as many natural (God made) ingredients as possible, I firmly stand that sourdough bread (or soured grains in general) are healthier than the conventional counter parts.

Ready to bake?? Try out this recipe for an amazing sandwich loaf!

If you need help getting started you can head here to make your own starter or reach out to other bakers (myself included!), most of us are willing to help. If you don’t want to bake, ask around and find someone who DOES bake and purchase bread from them! Let us help support one another in health and prosperity.

1 Corinthians 10:31- So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

So, tell me! What is your favorite kind of bread?? Whether it is sourdough, conventional yeast, homemade, store bought or bakery bought I am interested in seeing what bread people prefer. Leave me a comment with your fave!