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Did you know that sourdough has been around for thousands of years? It is believed to have been created in ancient Egypt, and then slowly spread throughout Europe. In recent times, though, it has become a trendy and even viral phenomenon, and for good reason. Here are some of the top reasons why embracing the rise of sourdough is a great idea.
Amazing for your gut health
Sourdough is made out of sourdough starter, which is made by naturally fermenting flour and water. This fermentation, explains Real Simple, makes the bread start to break down some of the gluten. People who are sensitive to gluten or other bread products sometimes find it easier to digest sourdough products. Eating well recommends looking for sourdough products made with whole grains, which usually have higher fiber content and give additional gut-friendly benefits.
Fewer preservatives
Commercial bread usually has lots of preservatives in its ingredients in order to preserve their products’ shelf life. Sourdough bread can be made with almost no preservatives, since the healthy bacteria in the sourdough starter is fermented and helps it increase its shelf life with its natural ingredients, says Good RX. Fresh sourdough bread is always better tasting, but wonders can be done if you toast your sourdough bread, even when not fresh.
Lower blood-sugar levels
According to Web MD, eating sourdough bread can be better for a person’s blood-sugar levels compared to the standard white bread. The reason for this is that the bacteria in the starch of sourdough makes your body absorb it slower, which lowers the glycemic index. People who are watching their sugar intake might want to consider switching their bread to sourdough.
Healthy aging
This is an interesting benefit, but a study in the 2019 journal Nutrients includes this as a welcome side effect to choosing to consume fermented grain based products such as sourdough. The reason is that the ingredients have antioxidants, anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive elements to them, which can increase a person’s healthy-aging efforts.
The taste!
If you haven't tasted sourdough bread, pancakes or other baked goods, you are missing out! Head over to your local bakery, or better yet, get some from your sourdough-making friend and enjoy the delicious artisan style goods. Their unique taste, smell and consistency are sure to get to you. And who knows, perhaps you might want to start baking some yourself!
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