The Science of Sourdough: Is it better for your body?
- Aware Together
- Feb 13
- 2 min read
Scrolling through social media lately, it feels like everyone has embraced home baking—crafting 20-hour goldfish crackers from scratch and perfecting homemade chicken nuggets. Alongside the rise of home influencers, another classic recipe has made a comeback: sourdough. These days, it seems like everyone is nurturing their own starter and diving into the art of this notoriously finicky bread.
For those unfamiliar, sourdough is the oldest form of leavened bread, meaning it rises due to yeast activity. Unlike bread made with commercial baker's yeast, sourdough relies on a starter—a mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, giving the bread its distinct tangy flavor. Because of its natural fermentation process, sourdough has gained a reputation for being healthier than standard white bread.
But how true is that statement?
To start with, because of the unique combination of bacteria in sourdough starter, when making the bread dough, the bacteria has a "head-start" when breaking down the starches, making it much easier to digest and thus easier on your gut.
Additionally, living inside our gut are trillions of bacteria responsible for breaking down your food into each nutrient, vitamin, and mineral for the blood to take and disseminate to your cells. Sourdough acts as a prebiotic, meaning it helps feed the "good" bacteria in your intestines. Furthermore, the lactic acid-producing bacteria also destroys the types of bacteria that inhibit nutrient absorption in traditional bread, thus increasing the availability of key nutrients like folate, potassium, and magnesium. These bacteria also increase antioxidants in sourdough, which protects your cells from damage caused by free radicals that are known to cause conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
Another key benefit is sourdough's lower glycemic index compared to white bread. During fermentation, bacteria eat up some of the flour's sugars, altering the bread's structure. As a result, fewer sugar molecules are available for absorption, leading to a slower glucose release. This helps prevent sharp spikes in blood sugar and keeps insulin levels more stable.
That being said, a meta-analysis from the University of Alberta found that while there is convincing evidence that sourdough has the benefits mentioned above (easier to digest, probiotic, more nutrient availability, and a lower glycemic index), the evidence isn't strong enough to declare it superior to regular white bread across the board. Additionally, because most sourdough is made from all-purpose or bread flour, it lacks fiber, a critical carbohydrate for our body (especially our gut!).
So, what is the moral of the story? The key is balance. Switching from white bread to sourdough may offer some health benefits, but it will truly benefit your health in conjunction with other diet changes that incorporate fiber and vegetables. So, if you enjoy maintaining a sourdough starter and enjoying the tangy taste of the toast, go ahead. But if you are attached to your white bread, then don't worry, the difference isn't life-changing. Written by Neha Vivek
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