Why is cutting down bread so hard?

Asking patients to cut down bread consumption is often met with multiple groans, objections and even a flat out ‘No’. We know that eating vast quantities of bread however is linked to weight gain. It is particularly troublesome for those with Diabetes as it sends the blood sugar high.

In fact it causes a rise in blood sugar in all of us, even those without diabetes. The reason being that bread is a type of simple carbohydrate. It is easily and quickly digested and the Glucose molecules enter the blood supply rapidly. You may have noticed that if you were to eat bread, then the likelihood is that you were left feeling hungry within 2-3 hours. This is due to the rapid rise of Glucose in the blood triggering a surge of insulin to bring it back down. As the Glucose levels drop again this can make us feel hungry and make us want more food to compensate. This is the beginning of the ‘sugar rollercoaster’. 

Look at this table by Dr David Unwin. It demonstrates how a slice of bread is equivalent to consuming up to 5.5tsp of table sugar!

But with many of the simple carbohydrates (eg rice and pasta) having a similar effect on our blood Glucose levels – why is it that cutting down bread that raises the strongest objections?

Is bread actually addictive?

There are clinicians that believe that grains are addictive. The caseomorphins found in gluten have a similar response to opiates on the brain raising the suggestion that they may indeed be addictive with potential for withdrawal symptoms. (1)

It is also thought that the bread we currently eat is made of a different-type of wheat to what our ancestors ate. One that is essentially easier to grow, more resilient but equally quicker for us to digest (and therefore have more of a Glucose spike in our blood). There has also been a general move towards highly-processed breads to increase shelf-life. Adding factory-made chemicals and additives to bread has not made it healthier for our digestive system.

Quality matters

Quality matters when choosing bread. As can be seen from the table above; each will have its differing GI value. However you may be surprised to understand that when it comes to its effect on the blood sugar, there isn’t a huge amount of difference between 1 slice of white and brown bread. (There is a difference with fibre content). It is always better to chose the least processed bread available. Those with a longer-shelf life is best avoided in general as they are likely to contain more chemicals. Sourdough bread may also benefit the gut microbiome as it contains natural bacteria.

Some benefits of decreasing bread consumption

Weight loss.

Less bloating

More energy

Less hunger

Lower blood sugars

3 tips for decreasing bread

1/ Cut down rather than stop

2/ Switching to wholegrain bread and increase the quality

3/ Freezing the bread making it harder to get at!

So whether they are truly addicted or not, there is one thing for sure, I get more complaints about the suggestion about cutting down bread than any other food!

References

• Perlmutter D. Grain Brain. https://www.drperlmutter.com/books/grain-brain-by-david-perlmutter/
• Rogers PJ. Food and drug addictions: Similarities and differences. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2017;153:182-190. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2017.01.001