You may have spotted sprouted bread at your health food store or noticed sprouted grain bread on menus at your local wellness-adjacent sandwich spot. It sounds healthy, but what is it, and how healthy is it exactly?
Sprouted bread is made with whole grains that are soaked in water until they germinate (or grow a small sprout). These sprouts are more nutrient-dense and easier to digest than other grains. Nutrition experts share the top sprouted bread health benefits along with ideas to add it to our diets.
- Gena Hamshaw, MS, RD, is a nutrition counselor and author of The Full Helping.
- Joy McCarthy, CNP, is a holistic nutritionist and host of the podcast Joyous Health.
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Improves Nutrient Absorption
Sprouted grains provide more bioavailable nutrients compared to other refined flours. "Sprouting grains—and creating flours from sprouted grains—may help to make nutrients in the grains more readily available for our bodies to absorb," says dietician Gena Hamshaw. This includes vitamin C, vitamin E, and various amino acids.
"Sprouting grains can also help to reduce the presence of phytic acid, a naturally occurring compound in cereal grains that can interfere with our absorption of nutrients like iron and zinc," she adds. This contributes to sprouted bread's reputation as one of the healthiest breads out there.
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Provides Sustained Energy
"The combination of protein and fiber in whole grains, including sprouted grains, can help people to experience sustained fullness and energy after eating them," Hamshaw explains. Sprouted grains also have high levels of folate, a B vitamin that supports the body's metabolism rate and produces energy.
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Improves Digestive Health
When a grain sprouts, its concentration of fiber increases. "They're in their whole form, which means they often contain more fiber and protein than grains that have undergone extensive processing," Hamshaw explains. "And the products made from sprouted grains are often rich in fiber, which is also beneficial for digestive health."
Fiber is a key component of gut health, including elimination and detoxification of the colon, which helps to regulate digestion, according to nutritionist Joy McCarthy, and can reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Also, once a grain sprouts, it's easier for our bodies to digest because its starches are already broken down. "The process of sprouting grains neutralizes enzyme inhibitors as well as the sugars that can cause fermentation and gas in the gut," explains McCarthy. Many who experience gas and bloating from regular bread don't have the same negative reaction when they eat sprouted bread.
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Manages Blood Sugar Spikes
If managing your blood sugar level is a concern, switching to sprouted bread can help. The sprouting process breaks down the starch in grains and decreases their carb content, resulting in less dramatic spikes in blood sugar levels.
By keeping blood sugar levels steady, eating sprouted bread prevents that unpleasant foggy-and-lethargic feeling with which many high-starch foods—like those high on the glycemic index—can leave you.
What is the Glycemic Index (GI)?
The GI is a rating system that ranks carbohydrates from 1 to 100 based on how much they raise your blood sugar. Due to its low carb and high fiber content, the GI for sprouted grains is a low 15 compared to refined white wheat flour, which is rated high at 85.
Prevents Chronic Conditions
The process of sprouting in wheat grains maximizes the production of antioxidants, particularly in the form of vitamins B and C as well as beta-carotene.This is important because antioxidants help prevent free radical damage and oxidative stress. which are precursors of artery-clogging atherosclerosis and other chronic conditions like cancer and vision loss.
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Contributes to a Healthy Immune System
Since sprouted grains are loaded with vitamin C, which is vital to a healthy immune system, this type of bread can help protect you from infections and viruses that attack your body. The bread also contains antioxidant minerals—specifically copper, iron, and zinc—that help regulate your red blood count, which also bolsters your immune system. What's more, sprouted bread's high fiber content contributes to a healthy immune system by nourishing your gut microbiome, which is comprised of trillions of good bacteria.
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Promotes Heart Health
Increased consumption of whole grains (and legumes) is already credited with lowering the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. It may also reduce blood pressure, reduce strain on your heart muscle, and keep it healthy and strong.
Drawing on those benefits, Korean researchers found that germinated buckwheat (as opposed to raw grains) has a further antihypertensive effect and may protect arterial cells from stress.
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Keeps You Full Longer
There are several arguments for how sprouted grains are better for keeping you full than whole grains:
- Higher fiber levels in sprouted grains keep you feeling full longer.
- Sprouted grains contain more B vitamins, which are important for energy metabolism.
- Sprouted grain bread (as well as other sprouted grain baked goods) is more likely to have less added sugar. This is because the sprouting process breaks down starches into sugars, imparting food with a natural sweetness.
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Delivers More Protein
Compared with other types of bread, loaves made with sprouted grains are higher in protein because the sprouting process increases amino acids in the grains. Germination also breaks down proteins, making them more readily available for digesting. According to the USDA, 100 grams of sprouted wheat bread contains about 13 grams of protein compared to 9 grams in commercially prepared white bread.
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Improves Fetal Health
The sprouting process increases the content of folate (aka vitamin B9) in grains. While folate has many roles, two of the most important are making DNA and RNA, and supporting healthy cell division. Researchers found a correlation between folate deficiency and cases of neural tube defects.
When researchers in Egypt noticed a high incidence of neural tube defects related to folate deficiency, they boosted their pita bread with sprouted wheat flour. The result was a 3- to 4-fold increase in folate in addition to other health benefits that sprouted grains deliver.
What Are Neural Tube Defects?
Neural tube defects typically affect a fetus during the first month of pregnancy in the form of damage to the fetal brain or spinal cord. Spina bifida and anencephaly are the two most commontypes of neural tube defects.
How to Eat More Sprouted Grains
There are plenty of ways to incorporate sprouted grains into your diet, especially if your goal is to increase your whole-grain consumption. Sprouted bread's deliciously nutty flavor doesn't hurt, either. You'll find sprouted grain goods—such as flour, bread, tortillas, and bagels—at natural food stores and many supermarkets.
Sprouted grains are a smart breakfast swap to power you through busy mornings. Here are a few other ideas for incorporating them into your daily routine:
- Use sprouted grain bread forFrench toast.
- Throw a handful of sprouted grains into your favorite salad or toss some with chopped nuts, roasted veggies, and a vinaigrette for a hearty grain salad.
- Swap the all-purpose flourin any baked goods recipe for sprouted wheat flour for healthier pancakes, pizza crust, orchocolate chip cookies.
What's the Difference Between Whole Wheat, Whole Grain, and Multigrain Bread?
