Nutrition and Bread

As a staple food which is low in fat and a source of several vitamins and minerals, bread forms the foundation of a healthy diet.   By law, white and brown flour is fortified with calcium, iron, plus the B vitamins thiamin and niacin. Because it is made from the whole wheat grain, wholemeal flour already contains these vitamins and minerals, although white and brown flour contain more calcium because of fortification.

Calcium

Due to the threat of a reduced supply of dairy products, calcium fortification of white flour began in the early years of World War II.  Its addition by law continues today. Therefore bread and other products made from white flour are important sources of calcium in the UK diet.  In the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, cereal and cereal products accounted for 30% of average daily calcium, within this 30% white bread’s contribution to adult mean calcium intakes was 18%.

• White and brown bread provide 177mg per 100g.  Four medium slices of white bread (140g) provides 248 mg of calcium, which is 31% of the EU Recommended Daily Amount (800mg).

As the most abundant mineral in the body, calcium is vital for healthy bones and teeth. It also plays a role in numerous metabolic processes within the body. A lack of dietary calcium can lead to osteoporosis - a condition in which the bones become brittle thus increasing the risk of fractures. Osteoporosis usually affects the whole skeleton, but it most commonly causes fractures to bones in the wrist, spine and hip.

After the age of 35 years bone mass can decrease as part of the natural ageing process. Therefore it is extremely important that women at risk eat a calcium rich diet, take plenty of exercise and also make sure they are getting enough vitamin D (which assists in the absorption of calcium into the bone).

One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 will break a bone as a result of osteoporosis (source: National Osteoporosis Society).

Iron

The fortification of white flour with iron results in white bread containing 1.6mg/100g.  In the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey white bread contributed to 16% of adult mean total iron intake. Iron is essential for the manufacture of haemoglobin in blood cells.  Intakes have been declining for some time and there is particular concern that nearly 25% of women have dietary intakes below the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI). The clinical effects of iron deficiency include general lethargy and anaemia.

• Four medium slices of white bread (140g) would provide 15% of the RDA of iron for a woman

If untreated it can result in severe long-term effects on mental and physical status and development. In the UK the RNI for iron is 14.8 mg/day for women and 10 mg/day for men. Wholemeal bread  provides 2.4mg iron per 100g.

B Vitamins

Wholemeal bread contains the B vitamins thiamin and niacin which helps the body release energy from carbohydrate and ensures the skin, eyes and nervous system remain healthy. 

 
• Four medium slices of wholemeal bread (140g) provides 0.35mg of thiamin which is 45% of the RDA for a woman (19-50 years old).  The same serving will also deliver 42% of a woman’s niacin RNI.

Folate, which is one of the B vitamins, is essential for the formation of red and white blood cells in bone marrow. Medical research has shown that folate has a protective effect against neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida which causes severe disability in babies. It is estimated that taking folic acid (a synthetic version of folate) when trying to conceive a baby and in the early stages of pregnancy could prevent 1,000 cases of spina bifida a year, many of which result in termination of pregnancy. So it is important for every woman of child bearing age to make sure she is getting enough folic acid in her diet.

Bread is a source of folate. Other sources include leafy green vegetables, dried beans, legumes, oranges and orange juice.

• Four slices (140g) of malted grain (also sold as Granary®) bread provides 123 mcg of folate, 4 slices of wholemeal bread delivers 56 mcg and white bread 9mcg of folate per slice.

The Food Standards Agency is currently reviewing the possibility of fortifying white flour in the UK with folic acid, to decrease the incidence of neural tube defects during pregnancy. Such a move could also be of benefit for heart health, as poor folate status is associated with high homocysteine levels, which are an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  However there are some concerns that there could also be adverse effects and worries about reduced freedom of choice.  Nevertheless, the government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has recommended statutory fortification. This recommendation is being considered by Chief Medical Officers, but no decision is expected before the second part of 2010 at the earliest:

http://www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/folicfortication/

Since the fortification of grain products with folic acid was first introduced into the USA in 1998, the rate of NTDs has decreased.  A team of researchers at the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta reported that folic acid fortification accounted for a 36% decrease in NTDs in the Hispanic population and a 34% decrease among the white, non-Hispanic population between 1995 and 2002.

Nutritional compostition of white, brown and wholemeal bread (per 100g)

Additives

You may see the words 'flour treatment agent' on the list of ingredients in your flour.  This improver is generally vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which makes the dough more manageable and gives a helping hand to get your dough to give a well risen loaf with what's known as a 'good volume'.

No more bleaching

Flour was once bleached using various bleaching agents, most notably benzoyl peroxide.  As a result, most millers started producing unbleached lines in the 1980s, declaring them as such on packaging.  Use of benzoyl peroxide proceeded to decline steadily in the following years, until it ceased to be available altogether under the 1995 Bread and Flour Regulations.  Today, no flour is bleached.  Sodium hydrogen carbonate and calcium phosphate are the baking powders (raising agents) used in self-raising flour.

Added health benefits

In the UK there are currently more than 200 varieties of bread on the market. Latest developments are breads with added health benefits including fibre rich white bread and seeded breads. These innovations are being driven by consumer interest in health and wellbeing.

Salt

Continuing the health focus, a salt reduction programme has also been a key priority. Several years prior to the 2006 FSA targets, the baking industry had been reducing salt in bread.  By 2004 salt in bread had been reduced by 24%.  The Federation of Bakers entered into discussions with the FSA to agree a target for salt reduction by 2010, which was set at 0.43g sodium per 100 grams (equivalent to 1.1g salt per 100g). This target was achieved in 2009. This resulted in bread having further reductions of 17.6% and a total net reduction of 37% taking into account reductions in previous years.

Fibre

According to healthy eating guidelines from the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency, http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet, one third of our total energy each day should be in the form of starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and other cereals.  Wholemeal bread is a high fibre source with 9.8g per 100g (AOAC ANALYSIS).

Fibre-rich starchy foods can help with weight loss and long-term weight maintenance. 

• Four medium slices of wholemeal bread (140g) would provide 39% of the recommended daily amount of fibre.

In the UK eight out of ten people do not eat enough fibre.  A low fibre intake is associated with constipation and some gut diseases such as diverticulitis and an increased risk of bowel cancer.  An analysis of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey by the MRC in 2007 highlighted that bread provided 20% of adult total dietary fibre intake, half of which (10%) was contributed by white bread. White bread contains 3.5 g of dietary fibre (AOAC ANALYSIS) per 100g.

Evidence suggests that eating whole grains such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals can help reduce the risk of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes (source: British Dietetic Association, 2005)

Experts recommend that we should eat at least three servings of whole grain each day, (equivalent to 48g/day).  One serving of whole grain (16g) is equivalent to one medium slice of wholemeal bread or one small wholemeal roll.

Carbohydrate

Wheat provides carbohydrate which is the key fuel for energy.  Some people still believe bread is fattening which may be linked to the low-carb fad created by the Atkins diet but there is absolutely no scientific evidence to support this theory.

• One slice (35g) of wholemeal bread contains just 76 calories.