WHITE BREAD :-):-( ??

Bread being a staple diet in most of the Western countries since ancient times and has slowly spread to Asian countries as well. 

Though many of Asians may be thinking Bread is a kind of modern food, let me tell you guys that bread has been around since long long ago:-) even before the so called Ovens were invented and people in those days used nature, I mean Sunlight to bake breads.. Interesting!! Right..

Now, with all the buzz around the world that bread is fattening and the cause of your metabolic diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity etc..I thought, why not dig into some facts excatly what  is the fact and what is the myth..Before you completely place a 'NO ENTRY"   board for breads into your house, just check the facts below and then decide friends:-)

WHITE BREAD: As we all know that white bread is made from refined wheat flour, and the meaning of refined, denotes that the upper 2 layers of the wheat grain are removed leaving the poor inner stuff of the wheat grain to do all the magic..And anytime, did you wonder why they do so?? Making grains refined helps in increasing their shelf life without the need of adding much preservatives, Refined grains are more easily digested and more easily cooked and more easily absorbed.

But in the process of refining many nutrients hidden in the upper 2 layers of grains are lost, like fibre, certain vitamins and minerals are washed away..

Before you guys start worrying that you have been eating an empty calorie white bread all these years, Don't worry, Our food manufacturers are really not that bad, after refining the wheat flour to make white bread they add milk, sugar, salt and also fortify the bread with Vitamins and also minerals like Iron. As milk is rich in Calcium, white bread has good amount of calcium compared to brown bread.

A good source of carbohydrate which is fuel for our body helps in increasing your energy levels, but due to its high glycemic index it has achieved its bad remark:-( It gets absorbed quickly and makes us crave for more and more and we land up in eating more breads which on long run make us Obese.

White bread has actually less amount of fat as such in it but all the toppings we add on the bread such as cheese, butter, mayonnaise, sauces, jams make bread fattening. Ya, I agree white bread is high in calories and low in fibre but if you limit the portion of your intake I guess we need not panic and being rich in carbohydrates and calcium, kids can also benefit from white bread to meet their energy needs:-)

Recent studies also show that milk bread promotes growth of good bacteria called Lactobacillus and thus helps in fighting with bad bacteria..Ha..This reminds me of a proverb in Telugu " Mullu ni mullu tho ne theyaali" which means a thorn has to be removed with a thorn only. As milk bread helps in increasing your good gut bacteria rather than removing it like the foods which contain high fibre (when taken in excess) might be another reason of the pure and milky white bread being used as a staple diet since ancient times..

Does anyone remember that when you were a kid and happened to fall sick anytime your grandparents or even your parents have offered white/milk bread to you..Guess why?? It gives immediate energy, easily digested, make your appetite increase and add some sweetness to your palate:-) When a food was offered even during your sick times, how can it be bad for your health?? Point to be thought!!

Gluten sensitive people can prefer white refined bread when compared to whole wheat bread..

1 slice of white bread gives you about 70-75 calories, so be cautious before you guys try to enjoy more than 2 slices at a time ;-)  But the problem is in the simple carbohydrates in white bread which suddenly spike your blood sugar levels and make you crave for more and more.. Rather you can top it up with  healthy toppings like , egg,  cheese (low fat) or raw vegetables or peanut butter , rather than jams, sauces,  mayonnaise , butter etc.. white bread  is  actually one of the best energy giving food:-)

Bye, Friends.. But do come back as I will be ready with another post which will help you know the facts of substitutes of white bread like multigrain or whole wheat bread!!