Which Bread is better?

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The recent health trend is to buy brown bread and avoid white bread. There are number of companies that are selling bread the looks brown. However, being brown does not necessarily mean it is made of whole grains or whole wheat! They are given the brown coloring to make it look brown. This holds true for those breads that are called “wheat bread” or “multi-grain” bread. You must always look for a label that says “whole” on the package of the product. These types of breads have a combination of whole wheat and other flour.


A white bread is refined and is devoid of any nutrition. The grains are milled and germ and the bran are removed. Processed bread has longer shelf life and has finer texture. However, processing the grains removes iron, fiber and other vitamins and minerals. Such refined grains are enriched which puts back certain nutrients but cannot add back the fiber. Therefore, refined bread does not have fiber. White bread, white rice, refined corn are some such examples.

Whole grains make a better choice for healthy people since it has abundance of fiber and other essential nutrients. Whole grain bread can be made of kernel of any grain. It could be barley or wheat. Or, it could be a mix of other whole grains.

Wheat bread is made of wheat and includes the bran, germ and the endosperm. It also has more fiber, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, chromium and Vitamins B6 and E. More than any other nutrients, a fiber-rich bread is good for optimum health. It helps you maintain weight, aids digestive health and reduces the risk of heart attacks.


Look for “whole grain” or “whole wheat” as the first ingredient in the label of the product. It is not worth buying that loaf of bread if you find any other ingredient topping the list. The bread should also give you more than 3gms of fiber per serving. Never go for breads that simply say “brown bread”.

Admin Note: Here are other interesting discussions on bread

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/indian-diet-and-nutrition/143005-brown-brown.html
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/healthy-food-and-living/108760-5-products-you-thought-were.html
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/keep-fit-and-maintain-shape/53737-know-your-bread.html
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/indian-diet-and-nutrition/80224-is-wholemeal-bread-healthy.html
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/forward-messages-and-jokes/145856-how-does-wood-your-bread.html