Bread is a staple of French food, but also a food often pointed out for its high glycemic index. Result: it causes peaks of blood sugar, sometimes deleterious to metabolic health. However, according to Dr. Sara Marín, there is a simple and scientifically validated tip to improve the effects on the body: freeze it, then warm it up. Yes, really.
Freeze the bread: a real bonus for your blood sugar
Behind this everyday gesture hides a fascinating biochemical process: the demotion of starch. By freezing bread, then toain or warming it in the pan, part of its carbohydrates turns into prebiotic fibers, explains Dr Sara Marín. Result: these carbohydrates become more resistant to digestion, slowing the absorption of glucose and reducing blood sugar peaks. Excellent news for people with diabetes or seeking to avoid storage of fats.
Another major advantage: these fibers feed your intestinal microbiota, which transforms them into butyrate, a beneficial compound for the immune system and intestinal health. The frozen-rehearse bread thus becomes less inflammatory and more digestible than fresh bread.
Which bread to choose to optimize your benefits?
Freeze the bread is good. But you still have to choose it. According to dietician-nutritionist Alexandra Murcier, wholemeal bread, sourdough, and preferably organic, checks all boxes: richer in fiber, with the glycemic index lower, and often better tolerated by the intestine. “Complete products from organic farming are preferable, because they contain the grain envelope … but also less pesticides“She says.
Beware, on the other hand, too sweet breads (grapes, dried fruits, etc.), industrial sack bread, or even gluten-free corn breads, which often have a very high glycemic index. Better to opt for buckwheat, more balanced and richer in protein.
Freezing your bread is therefore not anecdotal. This simple little gesture, within everyone’s reach, could well transform the way our body reacts to this basic food. More satisfied, sweeter for blood sugar, better for microbiota … frozen-upset bread becomes an unexpected health ally, especially if you choose it well. So, to your freezers!