Jasons Sourdough & Lack of Evidence for Gut Health Claims and Digestibility.

Nutrition and Digestibility Of Bread and the Gut Microbiome

Over the past 2 years, I have been looking at several bread factories and producers to produce Diversity Bread. I have looked at Jasons Sourdough and liked some of the authenticity I have seen on Jasons Sourdough; however after several people sent this clip to me, I have decided to explain why making claims about gut health makes a mockery of the work I have done for the past decade and fuels social injustice in over-claiming health benefits. I’ve written here in this feature more about bread and gut health, and I teach an extensively about bread and gut health over at the Sourdough School on the Diploma, and you can read the summaries of over 200 studies specifically on bread and gut health here in my research library.

I am the first to admit that my work highlights that fermentation unlocks the full potential of the flour that you use when making bread. You can read more about the case studies from my work on bread and gut health here. I have never said that sourdough is good for the gut, and I suspect that I never will. You could ferment cardboard. My point is, that just being sourdough, it does not automatically mean that there are health benefits.

The Ethical Breadline: Dissecting Jason’s Sourdough Claims on Gut Health

To make bread that nourishes the gut and to be able to make claims, you need to study the bread and see the impact on the microbes in the gut. You can read more about the guidance on nutritional and health claims on foods here. This is part of my work, and in this clip, the owner of Tonic Health is waving a white sourdough called the Great White. In my view this bread is about as far from being great for gut health as you can get, with only 3g of fibre per 100g. It is monoculture with a diversity score of just 2 ( excluding the salt), and claims of it being a source of fibre are stretching the measly levels of fibre as far as they can. Personally, I would consider this to be a low-fibre bread.

Jasons Sourdough is produced by Gearys, with £46 million pound turnover. They have a wide range of breads including ones you can take home and bake yourself. Jasons Sourdough Loaf Straight up white is stocked in Ocardo, Morrisons, Tesco, Waitrose, and Sainsbury’s.

Who is making the claim?

In this instance the person in the video is Instagram Tonic Health. owner Sunna van Kampen, making the claims. This tactic is marketing is called collaborative marketing, It is a way of sharing information is considered a part of a company’s marketing strategy. You can read more about social media and influencer marketing from the advertising standards authority here. This information suggests that “ found that social media users really struggle to tell apart advertising content from non-advertising content in this space, especially (but not only) when influencers use the same editorial style for both types of content.” Such posts are used to disseminate information about products, services, or brand values in a way that engages the audience and looks to expand the reach of the content by leveraging the followers of both parties involved in the collaboration. This tactic can help to build brand awareness, showcase partnerships, and is a form of content marketing.

The Unsubstantiated Health Claims

A Summary of why Jasons Sourdough is not good for gut health:

• Lack of Specific Evidence: No direct evidence supports the claim that this sourdough bread generally contributes positively to gut health. Such claims are unsubstantiated without specific, peer-reviewed research or dietary intervention studies targeting the sourdough in question.
• Use of Roller-Milled White Flour: Many sourdough pieces of bread are made from roller-milled white flour, which lacks diversity and the benifits of whole grains. This processing method can strip away beneficial fibres and micronutrients essential for a healthy gut microbiome.
• Fermentation Does Not Guarantee Gut Health Benefits: While fermentation can enhance the nutritional profile of foods, it does not automatically confer benefits specific to gut health. The impact of fermented foods on the gut microbiome varies widely, and not all fermented products offer the same health advantages.
• Unclear Dosage for Health Benefits: Claims regarding the health benefits of sourdough bread often fail to specify the amount needed to achieve such benefits. Without clear guidelines on consumption (e.g., how much and how often), these claims lack practical applicability and relevance.
• Overgeneralization and Marketing Hype: Broad statements about the health benefits of sourdough bread may stem more from marketing efforts than from scientific evidence. It’s crucial to differentiate between evidence-based health advice and promotional language.
• Complexity of Gut Health: Gut health is influenced by many factors, including diet, lifestyle, and genetics. Simplistic claims about the benefits of a single food item with average levels of fibre overlook the digestive system’s complexity and the gut microbiome’s intricate balance.
• Absence of Targeted Dietary Intervention Studies: Without dietary intervention studies specifically examining the sourdough bread in question, it’s impossible to validate claims about its impact on gut health. Generalized assertions do not suffice in the context of nuanced dietary research.
• Critical Examination of Fermented Food Claims: While fermentation can enhance digestibility and nutritional availability, not all fermented products benefit gut health. Each fermented food’s impact on the gut microbiome must be evaluated individually based on scientific evidence.

Questions

Does suggesting that WildFarmed flour is Organic make people question the values of Wild Farmed Flour ?

Wild Farmed Flour is not organic. This suggestion is misinformation. The Wild Farm Flour is regeneratively farmed. This is key difference in the way that Wild Farmed approach the way in which they grown their grains. Andy Kato and the team have written an extensive manifesto on their regenerative farming practices, and would argue that in some areas they go beyond organic, which is a very specific and regulated term. I don’t believe that it is the intention of the instagram post to deliberately mislead. A better reply would have been that “Wildfarmed flour is grown regeneratively and the farmers avoid agrochemicals as much as possible as part of their sustainable approach to their regenerative farming practices.” I know the levels of work that has been put in to communicating a new approach to flour by Wildfarmed and when talking about suppliers it is important to respect their standards, and to reflect this accordingly. I cannot help wondering if suggesting that Wild Farmed is organic when it is not, brings into question their their values and standards through inaccurate information?

What is the fermentation process of this bread and why does it have fermented wheat added?

Whilst on the packaging the ingredients are clean, flour, water and salt, I have some unanswered questions about the fermentation process itself. The suggestion is that there is a 24 hour fermentation however the inclusion of Fermented Wheat Flour on the packet suggests me that that this is not a traditional approach to fermentation, and that although it is a fermented bread it may not mean that the fermentation has fully transformed all the wheat in the bread. I can’t verify the extent to which this bread is fermented, as I am simply making an observation about the wording of the ingredients, but there are rules now governing the use of the word Sourdough and The UK Baking industry Code of Practice for the Labelling of Sourdough Bread and Rolls can be found here.

I can state that I like the fact that this bread does not have any enzymes of emulsifiers added, or any fat so this was correct. Nevertheless I have have some questions that remain unanswered on the process, and my reservations, stem from the questions about the full potential for the breakdown of the gluten proteins in this bread. In the video above there is a detail explanation about how the gluten is predigested, however the biochemical process that facilitates this breakdown requires acidity. This acidity is created by fermentation, and if the bread does not reach the levels of acidity required to trigger etc work of the prolyl endopeptidases (PEPs) for gluten breakdown. This is a key aspect of understanding how we can make bread more digestible, especially as it is highly efficient in degrading gliadin in wheat and this action aligns it with principles of health and nutrition, and the research indicates that the optimal pH for PEP activity is in the slightly acidic range, typically between 4.0 and 5.0 and it needs to have enough time to damage the proteins.. This acidic environment is conducive to the activation of PEPs, thereby facilitating the breakdown of gluten into smaller, more digestible peptides. The damage to the gluten peptides is is one of the key elements of digestibility as gluten proteins, due to their complex proline- and glutamine-rich structure, are resistant to complete digestion by the enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract. This incomplete digestion results in large, immunogenic peptides that can trigger an immune response in susceptible individuals, such as those with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). The immune system recognises these undigested or partially digested gluten peptides as foreign, potentially harmful substances, leading to inflammation and a variety of symptoms.

Marketing Hype

In summary, while sourdough bread may offer certain nutritional benefits, claims about its specific impact on gut health and digestibility should be viewed critically until substantiated by rigorous scientific research. I advise caution and skepticism towards such claims is a responsible approach, and I encourage you to seek out evidence-based dietary guidance rather than shouting bread manufacturers on Instagram reels.

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Dr Kimbell