The role of bread in the UK diet: An update

Abstract

Bread has been a widely consumed traditional staple food in the UK for centuries, although there has been a decrease in consumption over the past 50 years. This may reflect the increased availability and popularity of other starchy foods such as pasta and rice and potentially negative misconceptions around bread and health (e.g. weight gain and gastrointestinal symptoms). On average, in the UK, bread provides 11-12% of energy, 16-20% of carbohydrate, 10-12% of protein and 17-21% of fibre intakes across all age groups and is a key contributor to micronutrient intakes (9-14% of folate, 15-17% of iron, 12-17% of calcium, 12-13% of magnesium and 10-11% of zinc). White bread is the largest contributor to salt intakes in the UK, though average salt content has been declining, largely as a result of the government reformulation programme with the food industry, including the setting of salt reduction targets. The mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid, a strategy used successfully in >60 other countries as a means of reducing neural tube defects (NTDs), is currently being considered and may be an important public health initiative. The variety of fibre types in bread such as arabinoxylan, oligosaccharides and resistant starch, as well as other bioactives including polyphenols, are an area of emerging interest in relation to nutrition and health. This paper gives an overview of the current contribution of bread to nutrient intakes and considers trends which may change the role of bread in our diet going forward.

Do modern types of wheat have lower quality for human health?

“…Wheat is an important source of fibre in the Western diet, with bread alone providing between 17% and 21% (depending on age group) of the daily intake in the UK (Lockyer & Spiro 2020). Wheat fibre is concentrated in the bran layers, and wholemeal flour has a higher fibre content than white flour.…”

“…Although they were initially considered to be a single compound, the individual vitamins are not related. Cereals, including wheat, are important sources of B vitamins, providing about a third of the total daily intake of thiamine (B1), 27% of the intake of niacin (B3) and 33% of the intake of folate (B9) by adults in the UK (Lockyer & Spiro 2020).…”

Consumer Choices in the Bread Market: The Importance of Fiber in Consumer Decisions

“…Although the consumption of bread is decreasing, consumers still perceive it as a staple food [ 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Bread can play a significant role among products with positive health benefits for the consumer, e.g., wholemeal bread [ 45 ], and all the more so since some consumers accept increasing the level of fiber in bread [ 8 , 46 ].…”

Effects of diets, foods and nutrients on immunity: Implications for COVID‐19?

“…As well as featuring oil‐rich fish, healthy dietary patterns such as Mediterranean‐style diets and a dietary pattern that corresponds to the Eatwell Guide in the UK tend to be plant‐based, consisting of high amounts of fibre‐rich foods providing a variety of fibre types (such as wholegrains and pulses), which are important for gut health (Lockyer & Stanner 2019; Lockyer & Spiro 2020). Healthy dietary patterns additionally contain plenty of fruit and vegetables, which also provide fibre alongside a range of micronutrients and plant‐specific compounds such as polyphenols, which have been suggested to have immune regulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects (Sangiovanni & Dell'Agli 2020).…”