White bread as good as brown

CHEAP white bread is as good for health as wholewheat, a study has claimed.

researchers analysed levels of nutrients in the blood of volunteers and healthy gut bacteria over one week.

overall there was no difference between the two types of bread in terms of health effects. Critics said the study did not take into account the higher fibre levels in wholewheat bread.

researchers at the Weizmann Institute in Israel gave 20 healthy volunteers white bread for a week, and, after two weeks of no bread, artisan wholemeal sourdough bread for a week. Before and during the study, the scientists monitored glucose levels, calcium, iron, magnesium, fat and cholesterol. Dr Eran Segal, an author of the study published in Cell Metabolism, said: ‘There were no clinically significant differences.’