One of the country’s best-known diet experts has warned shoppers against choosing “healthy” sourdough bread when shopping at the supermarket.
While fresh versions purchased at bakeries are full of gut-boosting bacteria, pre-packaged sourdough on supermarket shelves often contains chemicals that have been linked to cancer.
This is according to renowned nutrition scientist Professor Tim Spector, founder of popular diet app Zoe, who took to Instagram to issue the warning.
Professor Spector said many supermarket breads are labeled as “sourdough” to “trick” us into thinking they are healthy.
Some products may also use terms like “high fiber,” he added. However, these claims are nothing more than a “health halo.”
In fact, these breads contain ‘various chemicals to include commercial yeasts, flavorings and emulsifiers to mimic the taste of real sourdough in much less time.”
Emulsifiers, which are used to add volume to foods, are found in a variety of popular products, from cakes to children’s yogurts.
However, experts have suggested that emulsifiers can “mess up” the separation between the fat layer and the water layer in the intestine, causing gaps in the protective lining of the intestine.
This is thought to increase the risk of bacterial infections in the gut, some of which are known to trigger the development of bowel cancers.
Microbiome expert Dr Alasdair Scott recently told The Mail on Sunday: “We think this process could be linked to bowel cancer.
“Studies in animals confirm this, but not yet in people; in humans it can be much more difficult to demonstrate exactly why a tumor has formed.”
A healthier bread choice, Professor Spector told his 665,000 Instagram followers, it would be freshly baked sourdough, rye or spelled bread, purchased from a bakery.
“When I’m at home and have time, I like to make my own sourdough, usually rye with a lot of seeds,” Professor Spector said.
‘If I have to go out and buy another bread, what I have to take into account is the proportion of fiber and sugar.
‘I would choose a very high amount of fibre, a low amount of sugar and, if possible, look for sourdough bread.
‘You better go to a baker. I like to choose those made with rye or spelled flour because they have much more fibre.’
Professor Spector said supermarket versions of sourdough can contain chemicals that interfere with the gut microbiome. However, other experts say that “sprouted” breads are gut-friendly because of the extra fiber they contain.
Adequate fiber intake is essential to protect against a variety of digestive diseases, including bowel cancer.
Health experts recommend that we eat about 30g of fiber a day (found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and legumes); however, the average Brit only eats about 18g.
Professor Spector added that traditional sourdough could even alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), compared to industrially produced bread.
This is because the methods used to make sourdough break down some of the gluten in the flour, making it easier to digest and causing fewer problems in the intestine.
Research has also shown that compared to whole wheat bread, rye, a type of sourdough, appears to keep you fuller longer.
Last year, a dietitian told MailOnline that shoppers should look out for the word “sprouted” when buying bread.
Sprouted bread is a type of bread made from ground whole grains of the wheat plant that have been left in a moist environment to germinate until they sprout.
This process makes whole wheat bread even more nutritious, as the germination of the grain increases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
It means that sprouted wheat has a slightly higher content of some vitamins and minerals than other whole wheat breads.
Sprouted wheat bread is also sometimes described as whole wheat bread, as are any bread made from grains such as barley, oats, spelt and wheat.
White bread, however, is made with wheat flour that undergoes a milling process to remove most of the core of the plant, removing most of the vital nutrients such as fiber and B vitamins.