Sourdough is one of the latest “trendy” products that is gaining a huge amount of attention and rightly so. If you love eating bread but you don’t like the affects of gluten then sourdough may be the answer. Sourdough starts as a fermented mix of flour and natural yeasts, during the fermentation process the gluten gets broken down resulting in a much more edible bread without the bloating affects of normal breads. It is believed that Sourdough bread dates back to around 1500 BC and this has been confirmed by archaeological evidence of Sourdough being discovered around this era in parts of Egypt.
Sourdough certainly is a healthier alternative to regular bread as it contains a lower level of Phytate which makes it easier to digest and helps the body to absorb more nutritional value from the bread. The greatest advantage is that Sourdough is loaded with healthy Prebiotics which are the result of the fermentation process. These Prebiotics are very beneficial for gut health and the condition of your overall health. Studies are showing more and more that many of our health issues start with poor gut health so the more we feed the gut with healthy Prebiotics the better our health will be.
Another area in which Sourdough is being used is in Pizza bases. The pizza takes on a whole new flavour and turns the pizza into a much more nutritious and palatable fast food. For those of us who are on Keto or similar diets the Sourdough Pizza becomes a much more healthy alternative as a “Every now and Then” cheat meal. Another interesting characteristic of sourdough bread is that it triggers a much smaller Insulin response than most other breads which makes it a much better alternative for those with Sugar Diabetes. So if your’e a bread lover then Sourdough is the most healthy alternative however it still contains carbs so don’t go overboard with it.
Not all Sourdough’s are the same!
As with any product there are good and bad varieties or healthy and not so healthy varieties. Depending on the process used during the making of the sourdough determines whether the bread will be healthy or not. Most leavened breads use some form of baker’s yeast to make the dough rise. Traditional sourdough is different in that the fermentation relies on “wild yeast” and lactic acid bacteria that are naturally present in flour to leaven the bread.
This is the main reason that the Traditional, “Old School” method of producing Sourdough is by far the best and results in the most healthy product. The lactic acid-producing bacteria helps the dough rise as Wild yeast is more resistant to acidic conditions than is your everyday “Baker’s” type of yeast. So when somebody tells you how good sourdough is for you it is only the case if it is made in the old traditional manner using it’s own natural fermentation process.
This old style traditional Sourdough is a great choice for people suffering with Sugar Diabetes or on a Keto Diet who like bread as it has a relatively low Glycemic Index compared to most other breads. Another bonus is that it the fermentation process reduces wheat components which is great for sufferers of IBS and non-celiac wheat problems.
Another advantage of Sourdough bread is that it contains higher nutrition levels than your standard breads. This is mainly due once again to the low levels of phytate’s which are actually an anti-nutrient because they bind to minerals, reducing your body’s ability to absorb them. Sourdough bread also contains more healthy Lactic Acids and Folate’s that are produced during the fermentation process which act as very strong antioxidants.
Further to all of the above benefits Sourdough bread also has a much lower level of Gluten which is better for people with digestion issues that struggle with eating normal bread types. Finally the fermentation process also results in the production of many healthy Probiotics and Prebiotics that are fantastic in helping your gut acids to remain healthy which in turn makes your whole body a lot more healthy.
Sourdough Recipes and Information
Fermented Sourdough Bread Recipe – A very healthy recipe for making sourdough bread.
Heart Healthy Sourdough Bread – Another recipe for a heart healthy Sourdough bread.
Sourdough – The complete history and detailed information about Sourdough.
Sourdough Starter Microbiomes – a very details study into Sourdough Microbiomes.
The Science of Sourdough – Understanding the science behind Sourdough.
The Mediterranean Way – Why people should eat Wholewheat Sourdough bread.
Sourdough Bread health benefits – All the health benefits and how to make your own bread.