Ever since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when homemade sourdough starters began bubbling on kitchen counters across the world, this tangy, chewy bread has taken on near-mythic status. As Taylor Swift would attest: sourdough isn’t just bread anymore — it’s a lifestyle.
Fans of sourdough claim it’s easier to digest, better for blood sugar, and even beneficial for heart health. But is sourdough bread really a nutritional powerhouse, or just a well-fermented fad?
What Makes Sourdough Different?
Unlike your typical sandwich loaf, which depends on added commercial yeast, true sourdough uses wild yeast. Wild yeast involves microorganisms from the air and flour that ferment naturally over the course of several days. This slow process doesn’t just give sourdough its signature taste, but also changes the bread’s chemistry.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, during fermentation, lactic acid bacteria and yeast work together to pre-digest some of the flour’s starches and proteins. This process can lower the bread’s glycemic index, meaning it may not spike your blood sugar as quickly as white bread. A typical slice of white bread clocks in at a glycemic index of 100, while sourdough lands closer to 55. That’s one reason why some nutritionists consider it a better choice for people monitoring their blood sugar.
Those same bacteria also give sourdough a longer shelf life by preventing microbial spoilage — an ancient form of natural food preservation that predates refrigeration.
Read More: What’s the Difference Between Sourdough Starter and Yeast?
What Are The Potential Health Perks of Sourdough?
Sourdough’s fermentation process has been linked to some promising health markers.
A study in Nutrients found that “participants who replaced their regular bread with sourdough for two months showed lower levels of sICAM, an adhesion molecule essential in atherosclerosis development.” In other words, eating sourdough may help lower artery inflammation that can lead to heart disease.
Researchers also observed “a decrease in diastolic pressure,” suggesting that sourdough might have a mild anti-hypertensive effect.
This effect may come from the release of bioactive peptides during sourdough’s long fermentation times. These compounds can inhibit the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE), which helps control blood pressure by tightening blood vessels. Some scientists think future research could even explore genetic variations in ACE to personalize sourdough recommendations for people with high blood pressure.
But before you crown sourdough as the next superfood, in one study, the authors noted that “despite minor variations in blood pressure, we did not observe any additional differences in lipid or glucose metabolism following the 2-month intervention.”
What the Hype Around Sourdough Gets Wrong
For all the glowing social media posts and wellness blogs touting sourdough’s superpowers, the truth is more complicated. While chemical and lab-based studies show potential benefits, the clinical evidence — studies actually involving people — remains limited and inconsistent.
According to a study in Frontiers in Nutrition, “to date, the limited and inconclusive clinical data on health benefits of sourdough bread also prevented the approval of health claims by regulatory agencies, including the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). Despite apparently favorable data, EFSA has not approved any of the requested sourdough benefit claims so far.”
Sourdough bread may be easier on blood sugar and digestion than its commercial cousins, and it might even offer small cardiovascular perks, but it’s not a magic bullet. For now, sourdough’s biggest benefits may be more emotional than biochemical: the satisfaction of nurturing something alive, watching it rise, and sharing it warm from the oven.
This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
Read More: Sour, Salty, and Fermented — Here’s How Sauerkraut Supports Gut Health
Article Sources
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