If you have gonegluten-free to better manage your IBSand miss eating bread, you may want to try sourdough. This bread stands out from others because it’s missing a key ingredient that tends to aggravate IBS. With this review of the pros and cons of sourdough bread for people with IBS, find out what makes this bread so special and why it might actually be an option for you.
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What Is Sourdough Bread?
The bread is made through the traditional baking technique of using a sourdough starter. This is a significant difference from other types of bread, which use commercial yeast to make the dough rise.
The sourdough starter is made up of wild yeasts and bacteria (predominantly lactobacilli bacteria), along with flour and water. This preparation results in a natural fermentation process that not only creates gases that cause the bread to rise but also gives the bread its unique texture and flavor.
Why Sourdough Might Be OK for IBS
In her classic cookbook, “Eating for IBS,” published in the year 2000, author Heather Van Vorous singles out sourdough bread as being anIBS-friendly food.Since that book made its debut, scientific research has come along that backs up her recommendation.
Monash University researchers found that the fermentation process that occurs during the creation of traditionally prepared sourdough bread reduces fructan in the bread. Fructans are carbohydrates that are one of the fermentable oligo-, di- and mono-saccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) that triggerIBS symptomsin some people. Scientists believe the yeasts and bacteria in a sourdough starter break down fructans during the fermentation process of sourdough baking, resulting in a bread product that is lower in FODMAPS.
In fact, theMonash University Low-FODMAP Diet appidentifies two slices ofspeltsourdough bread and one slice of oat sourdough bread as being low in FODMAPs, a group of compounds believed to produce symptoms of IBS and related disorders. Unfortunately, it seems as if the fermentation process is not enough to knock out the FODMAPs from sourdough bread prepared with wheat or rye.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Diet: Foods to Eat and What to Limit
When Is Sourdough Bread Not OK?
Even with their lower FODMAP levels, there are circumstances in which sourdough bread would not be appropriate for a person who has IBS. If you have any of the following conditions, you might want to refrain from eating this kind of bread.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lau SW, Chong AQ, Chin NL, Talib RA, Basha RK.Sourdough microbiome comparison and benefits.Microorganisms. 2021;9(7):1355. doi:10.3390/microorganisms9071355Van Vorous H.Eating for IBS: 175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy. NewYork: Marlow & Co.; 2000.Menezes LAA, Minervini F, Filannino P, Sardaro MLS, Gatti M, Lindner JD.Effects of sourdough on FODMAPs in bread and potential outcomes on irritable bowel syndrome patients and healthy subjects.Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1972. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01972Loponen J, Gänzle MG.Use of sourdough in low FODMAP baking.Foods. 2018;7(7):96. doi:10.3390/foods7070096Laatikainen R, Koskenpato J, Hongisto SM, et al.Pilot study: Comparison of sourdough wheat bread and yeast-fermented wheat bread in individuals with wheat sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1215. doi:10.3390/nu9111215Additional ReadingMonash University.Frequently Asked Low FODMAP Diet Questions
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lau SW, Chong AQ, Chin NL, Talib RA, Basha RK.Sourdough microbiome comparison and benefits.Microorganisms. 2021;9(7):1355. doi:10.3390/microorganisms9071355Van Vorous H.Eating for IBS: 175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy. NewYork: Marlow & Co.; 2000.Menezes LAA, Minervini F, Filannino P, Sardaro MLS, Gatti M, Lindner JD.Effects of sourdough on FODMAPs in bread and potential outcomes on irritable bowel syndrome patients and healthy subjects.Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1972. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01972Loponen J, Gänzle MG.Use of sourdough in low FODMAP baking.Foods. 2018;7(7):96. doi:10.3390/foods7070096Laatikainen R, Koskenpato J, Hongisto SM, et al.Pilot study: Comparison of sourdough wheat bread and yeast-fermented wheat bread in individuals with wheat sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1215. doi:10.3390/nu9111215Additional ReadingMonash University.Frequently Asked Low FODMAP Diet Questions
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Lau SW, Chong AQ, Chin NL, Talib RA, Basha RK.Sourdough microbiome comparison and benefits.Microorganisms. 2021;9(7):1355. doi:10.3390/microorganisms9071355Van Vorous H.Eating for IBS: 175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy. NewYork: Marlow & Co.; 2000.Menezes LAA, Minervini F, Filannino P, Sardaro MLS, Gatti M, Lindner JD.Effects of sourdough on FODMAPs in bread and potential outcomes on irritable bowel syndrome patients and healthy subjects.Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1972. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01972Loponen J, Gänzle MG.Use of sourdough in low FODMAP baking.Foods. 2018;7(7):96. doi:10.3390/foods7070096Laatikainen R, Koskenpato J, Hongisto SM, et al.Pilot study: Comparison of sourdough wheat bread and yeast-fermented wheat bread in individuals with wheat sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1215. doi:10.3390/nu9111215
Lau SW, Chong AQ, Chin NL, Talib RA, Basha RK.Sourdough microbiome comparison and benefits.Microorganisms. 2021;9(7):1355. doi:10.3390/microorganisms9071355
Van Vorous H.Eating for IBS: 175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy. NewYork: Marlow & Co.; 2000.
Menezes LAA, Minervini F, Filannino P, Sardaro MLS, Gatti M, Lindner JD.Effects of sourdough on FODMAPs in bread and potential outcomes on irritable bowel syndrome patients and healthy subjects.Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1972. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01972
Loponen J, Gänzle MG.Use of sourdough in low FODMAP baking.Foods. 2018;7(7):96. doi:10.3390/foods7070096
Laatikainen R, Koskenpato J, Hongisto SM, et al.Pilot study: Comparison of sourdough wheat bread and yeast-fermented wheat bread in individuals with wheat sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1215. doi:10.3390/nu9111215
Monash University.Frequently Asked Low FODMAP Diet Questions
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