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With the number of gastrointestinal issues on the rise, people are taking a closer look at the foods they consume. This has led to the popularization of cooking techniques from ages past. One of the most popular items making a comeback is sourdough bread. Many influencers are suggesting it for its supposed gut-healing properties. But can sourdough bread heal your gut? Sour Dough Bread heal your gut?

Let’s see what the research says.

What is sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread begins with a starter, a mixture of flour and water that has been kept and “fed.” The starter’s goal is to create healthy bacterial growth.

Starters will look sticky and almost gummy, with many bubbles in the water/flour mixture. This is a sign of a healthy starter. The bubbly action means that the bacteria and yeasts are fermenting the flour/water mixture. This allows the sourdough bread to rise while baking.

Starters can be used from 14-21 days old and can be used for centuries. Some families pass down starters from generation to generation, like heirlooms. While the exact time period for starters and sourdough bread is unknown, many historians credit ancient Egyptians around 2000 BC for their process of making bread. They would use a little bit of dough from the previous baking day to make the bread for the next day. The first actual text about using sourdough starter was in ancient Rome around 77 AD.

Why is sourdough bread thought to be better for gut health?

Many people may be put off by sourdough bread, which relies on bacterial growth. However, maintaining a sourdough starter requires close attention to any color or texture changes that can indicate mold or spoilage.

Although sourdough starter has bacteria, a significant number of microorganisms are destroyed during cooking, making sourdough bread unsuitable as a reliable source of probiotics.

However, sourdough bread is a great thing for your gut health, and here are a few reasons why:

While sourdough bread doesn’t contain probiotics, it does contain prebiotics. Prebiotics are the best source of food for your gut bacteria. They feed the bacteria and provide the bacteria with what they need to give off postbiotics.
Sourdough bread is low in gluten, and people with gluten sensitivities have an easier time digesting and tolerating sourdough bread than other bread types. While it is not gluten-free, the amount of gluten is often tolerable for people with gluten sensitivities. While people who are allergic to gluten may not be able to consume it at all, those who are mildly intolerant to gluten may be able to swap sourdough for their normal bread of choice.
When comparing different types of bread, sourdough is one of the lowest on the glycemic index, coming in at 53. While breads are often avoided when dealing with blood sugar issues, sourdough breads are relatively safe to not spike your blood sugar.
The lower blood sugar responses were also linked to a lower insulin level for those who consumed sourdough bread.
Sourdough bread is slightly higher in resistant starches, which are highly beneficial for digestive health. Resistant starches provide prebiotics and synbiotics, which are great for the health of your microbiome while improving the rate of digestion.
Sourdough bread is also high in fiber, which helps speed digestion. It can also help clean out your intestines by bulking your stool and removing any stuck matter, which is important for keeping inflammation low in the GI tract.
One study noted increased polyphenols and antioxidants and lower FODMAP content when adding sourdough starter to wheat bread. This is important for reducing inflammation and clearing out reactive oxygen species that may be causing cellular damage throughout the body. It also makes sourdough starter a better fiber option for people with IBS who have a hard time with fiber and FODMAPs.

It is important to note that not all sourdough bread is created equal. It will depend on the baking practices of the bakery where you purchase it, the additions baked in, and other variables.

Can sourdough bread heal your gut?

So, with all of that said, “Can sourdough bread heal your gut?” And to that, we say it can definitely help!

Sourdough bread has the potential to provide your body with essential nutrients in a gentle way that doesn’t cause negative consequences like some other breads do. Sourdough bread may be the safest option for people who suffer from IBS or gluten sensitivities.

Other breads that you find on the grocery store shelves have a mile-long list of ingredients. Sourdough bread is mostly flour, water, maybe some sugar, and a few other ingredients to provide flavor. But it doesn’t require the preservatives that you’ll find in other breads. Preservatives and additives can contribute to inflammation throughout the body and damage to the GI tract resulting in a leaky gut. Sourdough bread (so long as it has a short ingredient list) has the potential to help, whereas other breads have the potential to harm.

If you don’t love the flavor of sourdough, sprouted whole grain, rye, and whole wheat are other healthier bread options.

Learn more about the effects of preservatives on your gut health here.

How can I get sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread can be made at home. You can start your own starter, get an established starter from someone you know, or buy a dehydrated starter.

Once you have the starter, you make your dough, let it rise, and bake. Follow whatever instructions you want for this process. There are a ton of resources online. Just make sure that you know what to look out for in a healthy vs unhealthy starter so you don’t end up sick.

This family project can be fun to try out over the holiday break. There are some fantastic recipes online that use your established starter and discard it.

A discard is a portion of your starter that is scraped off the top and tossed out before you feed it again. During the first few weeks of a new starter, the discard is thrown away and not used. However, once your starter is safe to use for bread, you can begin saving the discarded portion to make other recipes, such as cookies.

What if I don’t have the time?

If you don’t have the time to make your own sourdough bread, there are other options. You can purchase it in the store; just make sure to check the ingredient list for unnecessary additives.

One of the best ways to get sourdough bread is to check out a local farmer’s market. Many small business owners will bring their freshly prepared sourdough bread to sell in these spaces. This is one of the best options to get your sourdough bread because you can talk to the person you are getting it from. This allows you to learn about their process and see if it’s the right match for you.

Local bakeries may also sell sourdough bread. Talk with the owner to see if they make their bread in-house or if it’s from a vendor. This way you know the source of your bread and it’s easier to know what is going into the product you and your family are consuming.

Do you eat sourdough bread? Let us know in the comments your experience!

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