article_snippet.sent: For many years carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta have been seen as the enemy for anyone trying to keep the enemy waistline slim.
article_snippet.sent: Australian dietician and nutritionist Australian nutritionist Susie Burrell agrees with the research that points to white bread and heavily processed carbohydrates as contributors for weight gain, but says this is no reason to cut all carbs out completely.
article_snippet.sent: Bread, white or otherwise is a rich source of B group vitamins which are crucial for energy production, and hence bread remains a major contributor to energy and the running of energy systems in the body. '
article_snippet.sent: Less processed varieties of bread also offer a range of other nutrients including dietary fibre, Vitamin E, zinc; iron and long chain unsaturated fats, which is generally why loaves of grain based bread contain more fat than white bread,' The nutritionist added.
article_snippet.sent: The nutritionist said there is a distinct difference in the nutritional value of white and grain bread, there's also a disparity in the glycaemic index (GI).
article_snippet.sent: As white, wholemeal and flat breads have all had the grains ground down in wholemeal and flat breads processing, wholemeal and flat breads have a relatively high GI compared to wholegrain bread, meaning that wholemeal and flat breads release glucose into the bloodstream much more quickly than wholegrain breads,' Susie Burrell said. '
article_snippet.sent: Over time, this means that choosing processed breads as a dietary staple will be resulting in regular glucose peaks and troughs, and subsequent insulin release. '
article_snippet.sent: One of the most commonly asked questions in relation to bread choice is whether ‘wholemeal’ is a good choice.
article_snippet.sent: While whole meal bread does contain more dietary fibre than standard white bread, it is still a high GI choice,' Ms Burrell revealed.
article_snippet.sent: Some large, thick slices of bread can contain up to double the amount of carbohydrates and are really not necessary for the majority of us who would ultimately like to drop a few extra kilograms. '
article_snippet.sent: While it's widely accepted that processed carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta, can contribute to weight gain and it associated diseases, doctors are increasingly concerned about a trend for excluding all carbs - even healthier wholegrains, where the grain is left intact and not processed.