Which Is Better? White Bread vs Brown Bread.
Brown bread has been around since the Middle Ages. As far back as the 1300s, brown bread was used as everyday staple food. Today, brown bread is still eaten throughout the world.
While white bread has only been around for a few decades, it has quickly become popular. It’s also much easier to make at home.
But there are some differences between these two types of bread. Let’s find out what makes them different and see where you should stick to one type and not the other.
What is white bread?
White bread is made from flour that contains no bran or germ. It is soft bread with a fine, open crumb and a smooth, elastic texture.
This means it does not contain any natural nutrients found in whole grains like fibre, iron, B vitamins, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, protein, vitamin E, etc.
Because they lack this vital ingredient, many people consider white bread “empty.”
White bread contains refined flour and is low in fibre, but is made with fewer ingredients than brown bread and is lighter in taste.
What is brown bread?
Brown bread is a type of whole wheat bread made with a sourdough starter and is usually darker because of the high natural bran left in the flour.
It is denser and has a nuttier texture than white bread. Brown bread is healthier because wholemeal flour contains more fibre and nutrients than white flour.
Some experts believe that eating brown bread can help prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels.
In addition, brown bread is higher in dietary fibre, which helps lower bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol.
Which bread is healthiest white or brown?
The answer depends on your preference and diet needs. This article will explain why both kinds of bread have their benefits and drawbacks.
Bread is often considered unhealthy due to its high fat content; however, with making healthy choices, it doesn’t matter whether the bread is white or brown.
Both white and brown bread are equally nutritious foods, so it all boils down to personal preferences. If you prefer light-coloured bread, then choose white bread.
Let’s start with the pros and cons of each kind of bread:
White bread:
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to carry around
- Easy to eat without utensils
- A great choice if you’re trying to lose weight
- Cons
- Does little to improve nutrition?
- Contains very little fibre
Brown bread:
Pros
- More nutritious than plain white bread
- Made using real whole grain flours
- High in dietary fibre
- Good source of complex carbohydrates
- Can be hard to digest when first consumed
- May cause gas /bloating after consumption
- Higher in calories
- Requires longer preparation time
- Tastes better than its white counterpart
Cons
- May not taste as good initially because the bran layer can make crunchy terms of texture when baked
- Requires more effort to prepare
- Brown breads take longer to cook compared to white varieties
Which bread is good for weight loss?
If you want to get rid of stubborn belly fast, then it’s best to avoid white bread altogether.
You may think that white bread fit is an excellent option for weight loss since it causes less stomach acid production than dark bread.
However, research shows that white bread increases appetite hormones called ghrelin and cholecystokinin. These hormones stimulate hunger pangs and increase cravings for food.
So instead of choosing white bread over other types of multigrain bread, try brown bread.
When eaten regularly, brown bread provides more energy, improves digestion, lowers blood sugar levels, and reduces inflammation throughout the body.
The nutritional difference between white and brown bread
Whole grain vs refined flours. Whole-grain foods provide all parts of the plant, including the outer husk and endosperm inside the seed.
These components have important health benefits, such as:
- Fibre – A form of carbohydrate that cannot be digested into sugar and passes through your digestive system undigested.
This helps keep blood glucose level steady so energy doesn’t spike too fast after meals.
- Vitamins and minerals – These compounds protect cells against free radicals and toxins within our bodies.
They’re necessary for normal growth and development, healthy bones and teeth, immune function, metabolism and hormone production.
- Antioxidants – These substances act as antioxidants to neutralise harmful chemicals called oxidising agents that cause cell damage.
Studies show that antioxidant intake may reduce risk factors associated with cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and aging.
Refined Flour Refining removes most of the valuable nutrition from the seeds and leaves behind just starch and proteins.
Starch is digestible and provides quick fuel for energy. However, when starches get processed during refining, their structure changes, making them less nutritious. For example, refined cornflour becomes difficult to absorb and causes bloating.
Refined flour lacks essential fatty acids, antioxidants and phytochemical. In fact, refined flour has almost none of its original properties.
Conclusion
The main difference between white and brown bread is that white bread is produced using commercial processes that utilise bleaching agents to enrich the flour with vitamins.
While some people prefer white bread over brown, it is easy to see the differences in their nutritional value.
Brown bread has a higher fibre content and some B vitamins, but white bread is a better source of calcium and protein.