Unlike the typical bread found at the grocery store, sourdough bread is made by a slow fermentation process which breaks down difficult compounds and creates beneficial prebiotics and postbiotics. A delicious slice of sourdough bread nourishes gut bacteria which can improve the immune system, reduce inflammation, and more!
Sourdough Through the Ages
Sourdough breadmaking dates back thousands of years to ancient civilizations. Evidence of early sourdough baking can be traced to ancient Egypt, around 1500 BC. (Source). Over time, cultures across the world began implementing similar sourdough techniques.
As the development of commercial yeast made way in the 19th century (source), sourdough bread became less common among westernized cultures. Naturally leavened bread was replaced with a quicker method using baker’s yeast.
Today, sourdough is making a comeback! With its tangy flavor, chewy texture, and health benefits, traditional breadmaking is becoming more well known among us modern folk.
Modern Bread vs Traditional Bread
Modern bread and other baked goods are significantly different from traditional sourdough goods in not only nutritional content, but also digestibility and taste. While baker’s yeast speeds up the bread making process by allowing a faster rise time and a more consistent product, naturally fermented sourdough has more complex flavors, enhanced digestibility, and nutritional value. Modern wheat – even whole wheat products- are often highly refined, which strips away a good portion of the grain’s nutritional value. A hearty, whole grain sourdough bread retains more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. (Source)
Why is Sourdough Bread Good for the Gut?
A big reason sourdough bread is beneficial for gut health is because it contains prebiotics and postbiotics. These compounds play important roles in supporting the digestive system, which has a huge impact on the health of the entire body!
During the natural fermentation process, yeast and beneficial bacteria from the sourdough starter break down complex carbohydrates into simpler prebiotics. These prebiotics, like fiber, feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut, which help them to thrive. (Source)
The fermentation process also produces postbiotics (compounds like short-chain fatty acids) that can reduce inflammation and help promote a healthy immune system. (Source)
Together, these elements make sourdough a great way to nurture a healthy microbiome and improve overall digestive health!
The Truth about Probiotics in Sourdough Bread
While the high heat of baking destroys destroys live probiotics, the prebiotics and postbiotics that were created during the fermentation process can survive the baking process. The byproducts that probiotics produce, like organic acids and fiber, are in the baked sourdough bread. These “postbiotics” continue to support gut health by promoting a healthy microbiome, reducing inflammation, and improving digestion.
Prebiotics and Postbiotics…What’s the Difference?
Prebiotics are non-digestible substances like fiber that nourish beneficial bacteria in the gut. (Source) In sourdough bread, beneficial prebiotics are mostly created from the fermentation of flour made from whole grains, where the fibers in the grains are broken down and optimized for the gut. These prebiotics serve as nourishment for the friendly bacteria in the digestive system, helping support the development of healthy gut flora. This leads to better immune function, reduced inflammation, and improved absorption of nutrients.
Postbiotics are byproducts of compounds like amino acids that beneficial bacteria break down during the sourdough fermentation process. (Source)
Postbiotics include beneficial compounds like short-chain fatty acids (eg. acetate, propionate, and butyrate), bacteriocins, biosurfactants, secreted proteins/peptides, amino acids, flavonoids, exopolysaccharides. (Source)
The fatty acids have been shown to promote a healthy gut environment by reducing inflammation, strengthening the gut lining, and improving overall digestive function. For example, butyrate is a healthy energy source for the cells in the colon, and has a protective effect on gut. (Source)
More Benefits of Sourdough Bread
There are even more health benefits of sourdough bread – beyond gut health!
- It has a lower glycemic index compared to regular bread, which means it doesn’t spike blood sugar as drastically as modern white bread. (Source)
- The natural fermentation process helps breaks down difficult to digest compounds like gluten as well as FODMAPS. (Source)
- If made with freshly milled whole wheat flour, it contains more nutrients like B vitamins, folate, and minerals such as magnesium and zinc – especially when made with ancient wheat varieties! (Source)
The Modern Epidemic of Gluten Allergies
Many believe that one of the main contributing factors to the modern rise in gluten sensitivities and celiac disease is the shift from traditional sourdough methods to the modern, commercial production of baked goods. In commercial bread-making, highly refined wheat flour and fast-acting commercial yeast are used, which leads to rapid fermentation that doesn’t allow for the natural breakdown of gluten and other compounds that occur in traditional methods. (Source)
Being a fermented food, natural yeast and bacteria gradually break down problematic compounds like gluten and phytic acid, which then makes the bread easier for the body to digest. The slow fermentation of sourdough also leads to the production of beneficial compounds that help with nutrient absorption.
The Best Sourdough Bread for the Gut
The longer the fermentation time the better, as the dough has the opportunity to produce the most beneficial postbiotics, breaking down more of the harmful compounds like phytic acid present in the dough. Long fermented sourdough bread is made at cooler temperatures, allowing for the maximum amount of benefits without over-fermenting the dough.
Pretty much any sourdough recipe can be made into a long-fermented recipe by placing it in the refrigerator for a final rise. Check out my extra long fermented sourdough bread recipe here, which has a delicious tangy flavor and delightful texture. Remember that whole-grain sourdough bread – especially ancient grain wheat varieties like einkorn or spelt, will have the highest nutritional value!
Check Out These Sourdough Recipes!
These sourdough recipes are optimized for freshly milled ancient grains, but with a little tweaking can be made with regular all purpose or whole wheat flour.
For more sourdough recipes, check out the “Sourdough” section of the Nourishing Recipes menu!
Have I convinced you to go bake some sourdough bread yet?? 🙂
