Bread is healthy, but which bread is best for you? And what about the microbiome?
Our gut is connected to the brain. If something is wrong in your stomach, you often don’t feel well mentally either. And the other way around: a lot of stress can make you suffer from an irritable bowel. It is not yet entirely clear how this connection works exactly, but we are learning more and more about the role of the microbiome (of which the intestinal flora is a part) for our health.
How much fiber is enough fiber?
A healthy microbiome helps strengthen the immune system. And what is especially necessary for a healthy microbiome are fibers. Most people consume too little of this: an average of 20 grams per day, while the guideline is 30 grams for women and 40 grams for men. In addition to a healthy microbiome, fiber gives a feeling of fullness faster and longer. As a result, you eat less quickly, which is good for obesity. In addition, sufficient fiber intake reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer.
Whole wheat is preferred
There has been a lot of discussion about bread, but rest assured: there is nothing wrong with two bread meals a day. However, it is important that we choose bread that is healthy, so that it also contains sufficient nutrients. Healthy bread consists of wholemeal flour, preferably whole, but many breads are mainly white. Whole grain means that the flour also contains the husk of the grain. The peel contains most of the nutrients and fiber. Whole wheat bread is a good source of fiber, B vitamins, iodine and iron. Not eating bread can therefore cause you to build up a shortage of one of these nutrients. In addition, there are differences in healthy choice in terms of sandwich fillings, perhaps more about that later.
Check the fibers
The tricky part is that if you really want to know which bread contains more fiber, you still have to study the label. Supermarket chain Plus has found a solution. They have a fiber meter (see the image below). Behind the name of the bread is the category in which the bread falls. That makes it much easier to make a healthy choice! More stores should do that!
What if you don’t like bread?
There are all kinds of reasons to eat less bread. When you eat little bread, it is important that you make sure you get enough iodine and fiber. In the kitchen, use ‘regular’ table salt, which is iodised. That is a lot cheaper than the ‘luxury’ salt too.
For fiber intake, it is important to ensure that you get enough whole grains in another way, for example through oatmeal, brown rice or spelled grains. And of course eat enough vegetables, fruit, legumes (beans and lentils) and nuts – according to the Good Nutrition Guidelines – which also provide the important fibers.
This article was written by Daniël Gerritsen, Nutrition & Health expert at the Vegetarian Association and reproduced with permission from Vegetarians.nl