For those of your who are trying to reduce your gluten intake, sourdough bread may be an excellent option for you. Sourdough bread is known for helping your gut with beneficial bacteria. Before we discuss the benefits of sourdough bread, let us first look at gluten intolerance and the factors that affect your intolerance.
What is gluten?
Breaking gluten down by its proteins, it has two categories in grain: the glutelins and the prolamins. However, in wheat the glutelins and the prolamins are glutenin and gliadin. The protein gliadin is commonly known as the main cause of gluten intolerance. Enzymes found in the stomach as well as the small intestine digest glutenin and gliadin.
What is sourdough?
Sourdough can be considered as simply tasty bread, a mixture of water and flour. Usually the mixture sits over a period of time so it can ferment. The process is much more complicated, and it involves an enzyme in flour known as amylase which breaks down the starch into sugar. The bacteria considered as gut friendly is called lactobacilli and is found in the sourdough and feeds off of the sugar from flour. This bacteria in sourdough is also what helps decrease the amount of gluten in wheat bread.
Why choose sourdough bread?
It Is Good for Your Gut
You may have heard about how sourdough bread is good for your gut. Well, it is true! Gluten-free sourdough bread is perfect for those of you who are trying to eliminate gluten from your diet and at the same time stay healthy. By incorporating gluten-free sourdough bread into your diet, you are helping your healing process move along. During the early stages of your healing process, gluten-free sourdough bread is a great option because it has all the good kind of bacteria for your gut.
Easier to Digest
Sourdough bread is much easier to digest than other conventional breads. It is easier to digest because of its good bacteria. The bacteria-yeast found in sourdough bread breaks down starches, as mentioned earlier. By breaking down the starches in the grains, the bacteria-yeast is essentially acting as pre-digesting the bread, which makes it easier to digest.
Wild Yeast
Made with wild yeast, sourdough bread has been around for centuries. Instead of using instant or fresh yeast, sourdough bread has wild yeast. The process in making sourdough bread involves fermentation, which increases the production of good bacteria. Because the fermentation process breaks down four gluten forming proteins, more people with gluten intolerances are able to consume sourdough bread.
Healthy
There are several organic recipes online that allow you to make your own sourdough bread. Using organic ingredients, you can consume something that is healthy and good for your body. Additionally, there are recipes that include ingredients without GMO’s and are completely organic. Also, sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index. This means that your blood sugar levels will not spike as often. Sourdough bread is a wonderful option to try, especially if you are trying to eliminate gluten from your diet.
Is sourdough bread gluten free?
So, is regular sourdough bread gluten free? To be specific, sourdough bread is not gluten free. In fact, sourdough bread does not work for everyone. However, with that said, you should still give sourdough bread a shot because it can make your healing process easier as you attempt to consume foods with or without gluten. Sourdough has gliadin proteins that make it easier to digest and helps with decreasing levels of blood sugar. Although sourdough bread is not gluten free and may not completely heal your gluten intolerance, it is a great way to prepare yourself for foods with gluten.
Sourdough bread may not cure your gluten intolerance or gluten allergies like celiac disease, but it still is better for you than other types of bread. It might even help prepare you to eat other kinds of breads in the future because it can help you transition fro one diet to another. Different levels of gluten will affect various people differently. So, sourdough may not be right for you. Keep in mind that bread is not necessarily healthy or recommended if you desire to lose weight. However, sourdough bread is a healthier option if you are craving some bread.
Conclusion
Sourdough bread is not necessarily gluten free, so be careful of what you consume. However, it can be a better option, especially if you are transitioning into or from a gluten free diet. Remember, sourdough bread may not be the right choice for you, but if it is, enjoy all of its benefits!
