We ask the experts whether ice cream or eating fresh bread is better for your health –

Whether you opt for golden or dark brown toast, frozen or fresh bread, it changes the bread’s texture and impact on your health.

frozen bread

Bread’s glycemic response (the rate at which starch is broken down into sugars) changes when frozen, thawed, and toasted compared to fresh bread.

Dr. Sangeetha says she demonstrated this by blaming the 2008 Oxford Brookes University edition, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, of changing the composition of starch molecules and making them more resistant to digestion. Thondre is a senior lecturer in nutrition at the University Center for Nutrition and Health.

Dr. Thondre says the starch structure is broken down by the freezing process, making it harder for digestive enzymes in the mouth and intestines to break down.

“Even after the bread is thawed, these starches cannot return to their original form, they become even less digestible,” he adds.

For most people, this is a good thing, as the higher percentage of “resistant” starches means the bread is digested more slowly by the body once frozen, resulting in softer blood sugar levels than fresh bread and potentially reducing the risk of the type. 2 diabetes.

Daily Mail columnist Dr. Michael Mosley loves to keep bread in the freezer and toast it frozen slices.

“Resistant starch means fewer calories are absorbed by your body, so more can be used for your microbiome (gut bacteria),” he says, giving the “good” bacteria something to feed on and multiply. .

fresh bread

The health benefits of fresh bread lie in its high moisture content. Dietitian Sarah Schenker explains: ‘White flour is fortified with iron and calcium, and two water-soluble B vitamins, niacin and thiamine. Higher moisture content increases absorption.

Sarah Schenker says that while freezing and toasting bread slows down digestion, fresh white bread is still a useful pre-workout energy source due to its higher glycemic index, meaning it’s faster converted to blood sugar, thus providing energy in the form. exercise.

Fresh bread, which is low in resistant starch, is more digestible for people with bloating and gas problems.

White, sliced, mass-produced bread is classified as an “ultra-processed food” (regular consumption is linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes), while natural fresh bread from your local bakery is an option and nutritious.

Fresh bread, which is low in resistant starch, is more digestible for people with bloating and gas problems.

old bread

Stale bread may not be very appetizing, but it can be a healthy option and may even reduce the risk of colon cancer.

For a 2017 study, researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia baked white bread and left it at different temperatures for up to a week.

They then tested the ground samples and found that stale crumbs contained higher levels of resistant starch than fresh bread.

Researchers say that when gut bacteria feed on these starches, they convert them into fatty acids that protect against colon cancer. These fatty acids also stimulate hormones that tell the brain we are full.

Dr. Thondre says it’s better to leave stale bread in the lunchbox than in the refrigerator because the drier it is, the slower it is metabolized in the gut.

very toasty bread

Like ice cream, toasting changes starch molecules so they’re more resistant to digestion and less likely to cause blood sugar spikes.

A 2008 Oxford Brookes University study found that freshly toasted bread has a 25% lower glycemic response than fresh bread, but toasting frozen bread exposes molecules to more deformation processes and reduces this response by about 40%.

But while lightly toasting bread destroys some B vitamins, burnt tortillas contain acrylamide, a compound that forms in starchy foods during high-heat cooking methods such as toasting, baking, and toasting. Large amounts of acrylamide can increase the risk of cancer.

Human research remains unclear, but in 2017 the Food Standards Agency recommended cooking golden toast instead of dark brown or black to reduce acrylamide exposure, because darker areas have more acrylamide.

Like ice cream, toasting changes starch molecules so they’re more resistant to digestion and less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar.