Switching from ordinary bread to low Gi bread reduces the risk of chronic disease and developing type 2 diabetes.
That is the message of new scientific research, published by Oxford Brookes University.
The research – which also recommends low Gi bread for consumers who want sustainable weight loss - is the work of Professor CJK Henry, of the Nutrition and Food Science Group, part of the School of Life Sciences at the university.
Professor Henry set out to measure the effect a switch from standard white bread to low Gi bread would have on blood glucose levels.
Ten subjects were fed exactly the same diet over a two day period with just one change - standard white bread on one day and low Gi bread on the other. The low Gi diet resulted in a lower blood glucose response than the high Gi diet.
Professor Henry says:
“The results demonstrate how a very simple dietary change can favourably alter blood glucose concentration. Such small modifications to diet, if adopted in the long term, could improve glucose control and consequently reduce the risk of chronic disease.”
This website aims to help you make that small dietary change by giving more information on how low Gi bread works and by putting you in touch with those bakers in your area who sell low Gi bread.
Gi stands for Glycaemic Index, a way of ranking individual foods from 1 to 100 according to the effect they have on blood sugar levels - that is, how quickly they are digested. Foods with a low Gi ranking (1 to 55) cause a slow, steady rise in blood sugar levels reducing food cravings, making you feel full for a longer period of time.
Research from leading UK universities into the impact following a Low Gi diet can have, suggests that foods with a low Gi help people control their blood sugar levels and may contribute to weight loss.
A low Gi diet not only involves eating carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables and cereals, it promotes slowly digested carbohydrates such as rye bread, oats and wholemeal pasta that provide a slow, sustained release of energy. These products have a Gi below 55, are becoming known as “good” carbohydrates.
- Bread is, of course, a carbohydrate but very few breads are low Gi – most are in the medium range. Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed Bread is one of the few that fall into the low Gi category with a score of just 54.
- Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed Bread is a delicious combination of pumpkin, linseed and sunflower seeds, combined with wheat bran and oat flakes to give an extra special tasty, darker style bread with extra bite and a coarse, open texture.
- Every 100g of Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed Bread is made up of 46.4g of carbohydrate, of which 38.4g is starch and 2.9g sugar with just 0.7g of salt. Country Oven is ideal for dieters, healthy eaters, vegetarians and type 2 diabetics who follow a low Gi diet.
- But, more importantly, it tastes great and is handmade and baked by the craft bakers of Britain.