Is Toast Better than Bread for Diabetes? Answer based on Glycemic Index

Toasts are considered a way better option as a breakfast item than the regular bread. But eating bread is also the right choice for a diabetic person.

People with diabetes have to take a keen watch on something which increases the blood sugar level. Many food items have a high glycemic index, and it should be avoided for meals.

But when it comes to breakfast, slices of bread are the favorite options in most of our homes. And fortunately, toast bread is considered better than the plain bread. According to the study, it was found that the toasted bread has a low glycemic index.

Diabetes is the condition where there is a lot of sugar in your blood. There is the only way to control the amount of sugar in it, and that’s, lower the intake of sugar. Many food items contain a higher glycemic index, and because of it, there are fewer options when it comes to food.

As you know that diabetes is the condition in which your blood sugar level rises, so make sure that you choose the best bread for your breakfast. According to research, toasted bread is more beneficial for diabetic people than the plain bread due to their low glycemic indexes- make sure that it’s made of whole grains rather than wheat or maida.

The toasted bread only changes into brown color after exposure to heat with some chemical changes, but there are benefits. There is no harm or change in the nutritional value of the bread.

These are some of the benefits of eating toasts rather than eating regular bread. Many benefits can be further explained in detail, but make sure that you do not add any item that includes artificial sugar.

Other Benefits of toasted bread:

toasted bread

  • Helps in nauseous feeling

To get rid of nausea, this is the easiest way to control it. You can just have a toast or a milk toast to get rid of the nauseous feeling.

  • Diarrhea

The toasted bread also helps in diarrhea as it adds the bulk in the stool, and it is the most significant part of the anti-diarrheal diets. It is considered that the best food to fight against diarrhea is banana, toast, apple, and rice.

These food items help you in adding the bulk in your stool and treat diarrhea in less time.

  • Energy booster

Toasted bread has a low glycemic index, but they are rich in starch. Starch is an excellent way to boost energy, so having toasted bread in breakfast can be beneficial.

When it comes to diabetes, things go severe, and you need to control the food. Regular check-up of your blood sugar level becomes mandatory, and checking the food items’ glycemic index is also very necessary.

There are many food materials with various glycemic indexes, which is an excellent option to toss up with any other food item with less GI score.

Note – toast bread is also known as an energy booster.

Veggie causing Diabetes

Before knowing the glycemic index of food items, first, understand what the glycemic index is. The Glycemic index checks the sugar level in the item and checks how the blood sugar level can be increased.

When the glycemic index scores around 55 out of 100, then the food item’s glycemic index is low. Many types of bread are available in the market.

The wise choice of bread is necessary for diabetic people to control the body’s blood sugar level.

Note – food items that contain meat and fat do not contain GI score.

How to choose the best type of bread or toast

How to choose the best type of bread or toast

Whole wheat bread has a low GI score, and along with this, there are lentils, oats, pasta, legumes, and non-starchy vegetables to toss up in the morning as the healthy food.

In the whole grain bread, the bread is not limited to the whole wheat only. Several whole grains added, which contain millet, oat, barley, rye, amaranth, and quinoa. While choosing the bread into the grocery shop, make sure that you read the label carefully.

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lentils-oats-pasta--legumes-WHOLE-GRAINS

The word ‘whole’ is a must in the label of the whole grain bread pack. Make sure that you read the ingredients carefully before buying any bread. The label can also say that it is a seven-grain bread or multi-grain, but it doesn’t need to be the whole grain bread.

The label must contain the word ‘whole.

Note – whole grains help to increase the nutritional value of the bread and decreases the glycemic index.

Sprouted bread is also the best option because it is made in an excellent method using sprouted seeds, grains, and beans with the water then converted into the dough and finally bake. Sprouted grains, beans, and other seeds have more nutrients and essential amino acids.

This sprouting process for making sprouted bread helps lower the glycemic index of the bread, which initially becomes very easy to eat for any person, and especially it becomes safe to eat for diabetic people.

Note – sprouted beans, grains, and seeds are very rich in fibers and proteins.

Generally, they are stored in the freezer for freshness and have a hard texture. They are consumed by toasting, so here’s the healthy toast bread which every diabetic person should opt for.

Many people don’t usually get used to the whole grain bread or the other sprouted grain bread. They don’t get used to the texture of them. If this is your case, then you must try sourdough bread.

Note – sourdough bread reduces the risks of allergies and inflammation.

This bread is made by the fermentation method. It is the traditional method. In this method, the flour and water are slowly fermented to raise the dough. There are many nutritious benefits of sourdough bread.

Make sure that you purchase the sourdough from the bakery itself because many are processed in the markets. So go on your own and purchase it freshly from the bakery.

Note – with the help of the fermented products, there is the growth of the good bacteria in the gut, and hence it improves the immune system.

Organic bread is also the best option for diabetic people, but they are quite expensive than the others and do not have much more benefit in carbohydrates. They are made with the organic food items which are obtained without any use of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides.

The people who have with the celiac disease along with diabetes then they must avoid consuming gluten. Not every food item that is gluten-free is healthy, but in celiac disease, it is necessary to consume gluten-free food.

To find the gluten-free bread can be struggling for you but check the label at any cost. Check for the carbohydrates, fibers, calories, and fat guidelines. Make sure it contains whole grains like millets, brown rice, quinoa, etc.

For every person with diabetes, there are many types of bread available to them. Toast bread is mainly preferred instead of healthy raw bread, but some types of bread are also suitable for diabetes.

Remember, there is something out in the market for everyone with varieties. There are whole-grain bread, gluten-free bread, sprouted bread, organic, and many more. If you have any doubt, then you can ask them to your dietitian.

Nutrition-wise, per slice of bread, contains calories, sodium, carbohydrates, sugar, fiber, protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.

Remember, there is something out there for everyone, so don’t get confused and choose the options given above. Here’s a simple thing you can follow that prefers whole wheat grain bread if you don’t have more options.

Don’t choose plain white bread at any cost as it contains flour and added sugar in it, which can spike your insulin level in your blood.

Before buying any product (bread), check the label and read about the nutrition, ingredients added in it. Check that the sugar amount in the bread is low, and it is high in fiber.

Note – people respond to the different types of bread differently.

Make sure you check the blood sugar level before and after consuming the bread so that you will know how your body responds to the particular food type.

As a diabetic patient, you can eat about 10-15gm of carbohydrates per snack. It means only two slices of bread are recommended with the protein, fruits, and vegetables every meal.

Fact – carbohydrates help in increasing blood sugar levels.

Yes, bread contains carbohydrates, but while checking the labels, check for the low amount of carbohydrates and high amount of fibers in the bread. Usually, these are available in the whole grain bread and the other, which are mentioned above.

Tip – it becomes difficult to understand the amount while eating the bread, so always prefer the sliced bread over unsliced bread.

Always choose the 100% whole grain bread. 100% whole wheat bread is considered healthy in diabetes as it is rich in fiber and other nutrition. These are always better than white processed bread or white bread.

By consuming 100% whole wheat bread, you will notice the improvement in the blood sugar levels. But make sure you check the ingredients carefully because sometimes the artificial sugars are added to make it taste better.

Note – many of the times, the brown color on the bread is due to the artificial color, so make sure you read the ingredients in the label.

Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

When it comes to the best, it is sprouted whole grain bread. It has zero amounts of flour and made of fermented grains. It has a significant effect on the blood sugar levels and rich in proteins.

There is less carbohydrate in the sprouted whole grain bread than the other bread, and along with this, it is rich in fibers, which make it suitable for any diabetic patients.

Note–sprouted grain bread is easy to digest because the sprouted grains added in it are higher in lectins and enzymes.

Sprouted grain bread is also highly recommended because it contains gluten-free grains such as quinoa, rice, and corn. And along with this, they contain a high amount of anti-oxidants.

Due to the anti-oxidants present in the bread, the patient is protected from severe chronic diseases. While sprouting, the starch is broken down due to which the bread is straightforward to digest, and the patient gets vital nutrients.

There is a sudden increase in the enzymes phytase and amylase due to which the digestion process gets easier, and there is an increase in nutrition.

These are some of the benefits of the bread for a diabetic patient. Make sure you chose the toasted bread or whole-grain bread over any plain white bread.

Once again, remember, there are varieties of bread available in the market for everyone, but make sure that you read the labels carefully and check the ingredients added.

Check the nutritional facts along with the ingredients and select the one which has low carbs and sugar. Make sure that they are high in proteins and fibers.

References

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27734127/
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28304350/
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28462730/
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24158434/
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30231542/
  6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26430929/
  7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28392166/
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19857068/
  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28005914/
  10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28606146/
Dr Sharon Baisil MD

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