Does sourdough bread provide clinically relevant health benefits?

Abstract

During the last decade, scientific interest in and consumer attention to sourdough fermentation in bread making has increased. On the one hand, this technology may favorably impact product quality, including flavor and shelf-life of bakery products; on the other hand, some cereal components, especially in wheat and rye, which are known to cause adverse reactions in a small subset of the population, can be partially modified or degraded. The latter potentially reduces their harmful effects, but depends strongly on the composition of sourdough microbiota, processing conditions and the resulting acidification. Tolerability, nutritional composition, potential health effects and consumer acceptance of sourdough bread are often suggested to be superior compared to yeast-leavened bread. However, the advantages of sourdough fermentation claimed in many publications rely mostly on data from chemical and in vitro analyzes, which raises questions about the actual impact on human nutrition. This review focuses on grain components, which may cause adverse effects in humans and the effect of sourdough microbiota on their structure, quantity and biological properties. Furthermore, presumed benefits of secondary metabolites and reduction of contaminants are discussed. The benefits claimed deriving from in vitro and in vivo experiments will be evaluated across a broader spectrum in terms of clinically relevant effects on human health. Accordingly, this critical review aims to contribute to a better understanding of the extent to which sourdough bread may result in measurable health benefits in humans.

A Functional Bread Fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A-905 Prevents Allergic Asthma in Mice

“…In a humanized transgenic mouse strain, mannan derived from S. cerevisiae prevented the development of inflammation, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and airway smooth muscle hyperplasia/hypertrophy [ 34 ]. Sourdough fermentation can also generate bioactive amino acids and peptides, and some yeasts, such as S. cerevisiae , are able to produce short-chain fatty acids that can protect against allergic diseases [ [35] , [36] , [37] ]. Thus, some of these compounds may have also contributed to the effect of the S. cerevisiae UFMG A-905 fermented bread.…”

Effect of Air Classification and Enzymatic and Microbial Bioprocessing on Defatted Durum Wheat Germ: Characterization and Use as Bread Ingredient

“…The predicted glycemic index, quantified with a multi-step enzymatic treatment mimicking in vivo digestion [ 19 ], estimates the amount of carbohydrates that will raise the glucose levels in the blood once the breads are ingested. pGI was lower in HF-B and LF-B compared to WB, most likely due to the higher contents of fibers and proteins, which are known to influence macronutrient digestion and absorption during gastrointestinal transit, and thus the bread glycemic index [ 35 ]. The higher organic acid and soluble fiber contents provided by bioprocessed DWG fractions ( Table 1 ) further decreased pGI in f-HF-B, xf-HF-B, f-LF-B, and xf-LF-B compared to WB and the respective controls.…”

Sustainable Processes and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Artisanal Spontaneous Gluten Free Sourdough (Quinoa, Amaranth and Brown Rice) Compared to Wheat Sourdough

“…a-d : Different letters within the same column indicate significant differences between samples (p < 0.05). [1][2][3][4] : Different numbers within the same row indicate significant differences between samples at different times of analysis (p < 0.05).…”

“…Sourdough is a mixture of flour and water spontaneously fermented by lactic bacteria and yeasts with acidifying and leavening capacity [1]. It is an ancient biotechnological process; this revival of natural fermentation has captured scientific interest for the positive Sustainability 2024, 16, 3297 2 of 26 effects on breads, namely for improving their nutritional value, sensory quality and shelf life and for the absence of additives in the products with respect to conventional breads [2][3][4][5]. In fact, the production and consumption of sourdough bread have been positively affected by increasing demand for the use of sourdough as a replacement for baker's yeast in bakery products, encouraged by the interest of health-conscious consumers [6].…”