We’re delighted that you’re considering participating in our research at The Sourdough School. We want to share with you the kind of studies we’re conducting and what you might be involved in. We work on various aspects that help us to understand bread and its impact on physical and mental health.
- Dietary Intervention Studies: Sometimes, we ask participants to change what they usually eat, so we can see what effect that has. For example, we might ask you to start eating sourdough bread regularly if you’re not already, or we might suggest eating more or less of it than you’re used to. We’ll then look at how this change affects your health. This could help us understand more about the benefits of sourdough bread.
- Blood Sugar Studies: Some studies examine how eating sourdough bread affects your blood sugar levels. This might involve us asking you to eat some sourdough bread, and then we’ll monitor your blood sugar levels for a while afterwards. This can tell us more about how your body processes the sugar in sourdough bread.
- Stool Studies using the Bristol Stool Chart: Sometimes, we ask participants to tell us about their bowel movements using the Bristol Stool Chart. This is a simple tool that helps you to describe what your stools look like. It’s really useful in telling us how well your body is digesting the sourdough bread.
- Cholesterol Studies: We also do studies to see if eating sourdough bread has any effect on cholesterol levels. This involves us doing some simple tests to check your cholesterol levels before and after you start eating more sourdough bread. It’s important because having the right cholesterol balance in your body helps keep your heart healthy.
- Weight Studies: In other studies, we might ask you to keep track of your weight while you’re eating more or less sourdough bread. This can tell us whether diet changes might help manage your weight.
- Digestive Health Studies: These studies focus on understanding the broader impact of sourdough bread on our digestive health. This could encompass aspects such as gastroesophageal comfort, the frequency of digestive irregularities, and potential influence on conditions such as acid reflux.
- Nutrient Absorption Studies: In these investigations, we look at how eating sourdough bread might affect your body’s absorption efficiency of essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and magnesium. This can shed light on the potential dietary advantages of incorporating sourdough bread in your meal plans.
- Satiety and Hunger Studies: These studies revolve around exploring the effects of sourdough bread on feelings of hunger and fullness. You may be asked to record your hunger levels at different times during the day, which can help us understand if sourdough bread has a role in appetite regulation.
- Immune System Studies: Emerging research shows that gut health is closely linked to our immune system. In this line of study, we aim to evaluate if sourdough bread, due to its beneficial impact on gut health, could influence immune responses.
- Mental Health Studies: A growing body of research, often termed ‘psychobiotics’, is exploring the potential links between the gut microbiome and mental health. As part of these studies, we’d examine whether dietary changes, specifically the introduction or increased consumption of sourdough bread, might affect mental well-being
We’re really excited about our research, and we hope you are too. Please remember, whatever study you join, it’s entirely up to you how much information you want to share, and you can withdraw at any time. We’ll always ensure you understand what’s involved and we’re always here to answer your questions.
