Is bread the new cake?

Is bread a delicious demon?  Is it so lovely and convenient that it tempts us to eat too much?  My mouth waters just thinking about all they ways to include bread at every meal and snack.

Bread is a daily habit for many.  It is an easy choice.   And when we eat 100% whole grain including the germ, we feel good about our choice.....and it is a good choice.  But....

What is the threshold for having too much bread?  At what point is it a treat like cake?

First for "white" or refined grains

If you care about your waist size, then you want to avoid or strictly limit your intake of white or refined grains....in other words think of white bread as you would cake.

Refined grains mean the most nutrient dense parts of the grain is removed--the germ and the bran.  All that is left is the starchy calories.  Our body handles these starchy calories the exact same way it handles table sugar.  A single slice of  white bread looks like 4 to 5 teaspoons of sugar to our insides....so yes that is a lot like cake.

Health Canada (through Canada's Food Guide) is okay with people consuming half their grain choices (3 to 4 per day) as refined grains.   I personally found this to be a very disappointing interpretation of the evidence for optimal health.  The problem Health Canada faced was that it needed more research to justify asking the population to reduce its refined grains.  More than 80% of the grains consumed by Canadians are white or refined and the proof that this contributes to poor health was not there.

But that evidence is finally emerging. Horray!  A recent large and long-term study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared visceral belly fat and waist circumference of whole grain eaters vs. refined grain eaters.  It is well established that a larger waist circumference and more visceral fat (the fat beneath your abdominal muscles, that mingles with your vital organs) is a significant risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and premature death.

People who eat 4 servings of refined grains per day had much larger waists and more visceral fat than people who did not---even if they also ate whole grains.  People who ate at least 3 servings of 100% whole grains per day avoided refined grains had 10% less visceral fat than those who regularly consumed white grains.

In the study, people got most of their white grains from pasta, white bread, pizza, english muffins and white rice.  Note that a popular 12" sub bun is 6 servings of white bread. Two cups of cooked pasta is 4 servings.

If I am at a restaurant that only offers refined white grains, I skip the grain and have a piece of fruit or a baked potato to fill up.  Most of the time, I would rather eat cake or chocolate for my treat than white grains.

Second....Can we eat too much 100% whole grain?

We absolutely need 3-4 servings of a variety of whole grains each day to meet our nutrient needs.  That is about a half to 3/4 of a cup per meal of cooked grains like oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, pot barley, wheat berries, stone ground cornmeal, popcorn and whole grain pasta.  Choosing 100% whole grain bread for some but not all of your grain choices is healthy.

In the ideal scenario, after that first 2 cups of whole grain, we know that filling up on more vegetables and fruit is super-healthy.  There is no need to add more grains until you have had at least 4 to 5 cups of vegetables and fruits first.  If you are still hungry, more grains and vegetables and fruit make sense.

However the research behind the benefits replacing some of our grain choices with fruits and vegetables is in its infancy, so it is not a general population-wide recommendation.

One promising area of research is related to the acid-base balance of diets.  Grains create a more acidic environment in the body while vegetables and fruits are broken down into more alkaline or basic components--yes even acidic fruits like lemons and oranges metabolize to be alkaline in the body.  When we eat a lot of grains, the body breaks down bone and muscle to neutralize the acid produced.  Over time, weak bones and weak muscles lead to frailty, osteoporosis and fractures.

This is fascinating stuff, but not conclusive.  So the final answer about too much is not available.  In the meantime it does no harm and is definitely beneficial to eat more vegetables and fruit while reducing grain intake.

If you are still uncertain of the best choices for you personally, consult with a Registered Dietitian to get help making choices and changes that are optimal for your unique health and lifestyle needs.  Healthy and delicious eating can be part of busy lifestyle.

So is bread the new cake?
White bread yes.  Whole grain, not so much....but choose to eat not so much.