This is more than just a humorous anecdote. It’s a clinically-informed, nutrigenetically-designed sourdough bread that actively supports the body’s natural detoxification pathways, digestive ease, hormonal balance, and cardiovascular health.
Dr Vanessa Kimbell first observed its profound digestive effects over a decade ago when students attending The Sourdough School experienced light, clean, comfortable elimination the morning after eating it. One famously quipped at breakfast, “She wasn’t kidding,” and the table erupted in laughter—a memory that still captures the bread’s quietly revolutionary impact.
Proven Bread is not just about having a clean, comfortable bowel movement—though that’s certainly part of its effectiveness. It is a therapeutic loaf, designed with an understanding of the interconnected systems of detoxification, hormone metabolism, digestion, and microbial balance. It works in harmony with the body’s needs and genetics, and it offers a joyful, nourishing way to support complex biological processes through one of the most fundamental human foods: bread.
HOW PROVEN BREAD SUPPORTS DETOXIFICATION
From a nutrigenetic and functional medicine standpoint, detoxification is a three-phase process involving enzymatic transformation, conjugation, and elimination. Each phase requires specific nutrients and cofactors, many of which are naturally present or activated by the ingredients and fermentation processes in Proven Bread.
PHASE I: ACTIVATION (LIVER ENZYME MODULATION)
Phase I of detoxification involves the activation of toxins—transforming fat-soluble compounds like excess oestrogens, cholesterol metabolites, and environmental chemicals into intermediate forms. This process depends heavily on the cytochrome P450 enzyme family.
Proven Bread supports this phase through its rich botanical blend, which includes polyphenol-dense ingredients such as rose, beetroot, herbs, and darker grains. These compounds modulate liver enzyme activity, supporting efficient detoxification without the harmful build-up of reactive intermediates. The fermentation process further enhances bioavailability and reduces any harsh impact on the digestive system, especially in individuals with impaired histamine pathways or SNPs affecting phase I detoxification.
PHASE II: CONJUGATION (METHYLATION, GLUCURONIDATION, SULPHATION)
Once toxins are activated, they must be neutralised. This happens in Phase II, where the liver adds molecules such as methyl groups, glucuronic acid, or sulphate to make these compounds water-soluble.
Proven Bread has been formulated to support each of these pathways:
- Methylation is supported by folate-rich wholegrain ingredients and natural choline precursors, helping compensate for genetic variants such as MTHFR and PEMT.
- Glucuronidation is enhanced by high-fibre components like flaxseeds and mucilaginous seeds, which also help trap conjugated toxins in the gut and prevent them from being reabsorbed.
- Sulphation is supported by sulphur-containing seeds and greens, helping conjugate and excrete phenols, oestrogens, and environmental pollutants.
This phase is particularly relevant in individuals with hormonal imbalances, sluggish detox pathways, or SNPs such as COMT, UGT1A1, and SULT1A1.
PHASE III: ELIMINATION (GUT & STOOL FORMATION)
The final stage of detoxification—Phase III—relies on the successful elimination of conjugated compounds via the gut. This is where Proven Bread excels and where its nickname, Big Poop Bread, truly comes into its own.
The bread delivers over 12g of dietary fibre per serving, combining insoluble fibre from wholegrains with water-holding mucilage from chia and flax. This supports bulk stool formation and encourages regular, comfortable elimination. These fibres also bind bile salts and conjugated oestrogens, escorting them out of the body rather than allowing them to be reabsorbed.
Fermentation with lactic acid bacteria enhances prebiotic potential, supporting the growth of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia, which in turn reduce gut inflammation and reinforce barrier function.
For individuals with a history of constipation, sluggish digestion, or hormonal congestion, the bread acts as a daily tool to ensure that detoxification completes its cycle.
OESTROGEN & CHOLESTEROL CLEARANCE
Proven Bread plays a particularly supportive role in clearing excess oestrogen—especially for individuals with oestrogen dominance, endometriosis, fibroids, or genetically reduced COMT or glucuronidation capacity. The flax and seed blend helps bind and excrete oestrogens, while fermentation reduces reactive gut metabolites that can interfere with hormonal balance.
From a cardiovascular perspective, the bread supports cholesterol metabolism in several ways:
- By binding bile salts in the gut, it encourages the liver to use more cholesterol to make bile.
- Soluble fibres and phytosterols compete with dietary cholesterol for absorption.
- Fermentation produces propionate, a SCFA known to inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver.
This combination of metabolic, hormonal, and digestive support makes Proven Bread a unique, food-based intervention.
