Bread has gotten a bad rap because eating carbohydrate-containing foods such as bread, temporarily raises blood sugar and insulin levels. People eating large amounts of foods with high glycemic indices have been reported to be at increased risk of type 2-diabetes. But not all bread is the same; experts say that a high-fiber diet of at least 50 grams of fiber per day has been shown to work better in controlling diabetes than the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association which provides 24 grams of fiber per day.

Whole grain bread, packed with nutrients and fiber, plays an important role in managing body weight. Whole grain bread takes longer to digest, gives better satiety, and regulates appetite. It also helps in lowering the cholesterol and glucose levels, thereby controlling body weight.

A healthy diet ideally should include three or more servings of whole grains daily in the form of bread or other cereals. Whole grain bread is also good for your heart– regular consumption of whole-grain foods is also associated with an approximate 26 percent risk reduction of coronary heart disease. A high-fiber diet, particularly in soluble fiber such as oats, psyllium seeds, vegetables, and legumes, is associated with a decreased risk of both fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, probably because these fibers are known to lower cholesterol.

Bread buying tips:

• Look for a minimum of two grams of fiber per slice of bread.
• Many breads like oat, wheat, rye, and multi-grain breads actually contain enriched white flour, bleached white flour, enriched wheat flour, or unbleached wheat flour which are NOT whole grains.
• Choose whole grain breads which contain more fiber.
• To ensure bread is made from whole grains, always look for the words “whole” or “100% whole” before the name of the grain or flour.