The Sourdough School

Baking eating and sharing bread to improve physical and mental health

Using a robust evidence-based baking protocol combining the evidence of thousands of years of baking with modern clinical insights, we offer comprehensive training to bakers and healthcare professionals, providing students with the tools to use baking in everyday practice as a wellness intervention.
Follow on Instagram

Soil Association
Our gardens are certified organic.

Baking as Lifestyle Medicine for Bakers and Clinicians

+44(0)7707 480336
[email protected]
Follow on Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Student Login

Navigation
  • Home
    • Login
  • About us
    • The School
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • The Team
    • Contributors & Guest Tutors
    • General FAQ’s about The School
    • Be the Change
  • Admissions
    • Courses
    • Course Q&A’s
    • Graduation Week in Tuscany
    • Educational Awards Programme
    • Enrolment
    • Reviews
    • Student Welfare
    • Policies & Compliance
  • The Certificate
    • The Certificate
    • Teaching
    • Teacher Training
  • The Diploma
    • The Diploma
    • Licence to Prescribe BALM
  • BALM
    • Baking as Lifestyle Medicine
    • What is BALM?
    • BALM & Bread in The Blue Zone
    • Case Studies Library
    • BALM Podcasts
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients

42 - ‘Prolonged Fermentation of Whole Wheat Sourdough Reduces Phytate Level and Increases Soluble Magnesium’. J. Agric. Food Chem.. 49, 2657-2662

Reference Number: 42

Year: 2001

Authors: H. W. Lopez, V. Krespine, C. Guy, A. Messager, et al.

Link: Link to original paper

Nutrition: Phytic acid

Lactic Acid Bacteria: Heterofermentative | Homofermentative

Inclusions: Wheat (whole)

Summary

Whole Wheat Sourdough Reduces Phytate Level and Increases Soluble Magnesium

Summary

This work was designed to compare the effects of different leavens (yeast, sourdough, and a mixture of both) on phytic acid (PA) degradation and to assess the repercussions of PA breakdown on phosphorus and magnesium solubility during bread-making. Sourdough fermentation was more efficient than yeast fermentation in reducing the phytate content in whole wheat bread (62 and 38%, respectively). Furthermore, lactic acid bacteria present in sourdough enhanced acidification, leading to increased magnesium and phosphorus solubility. To intensify phytate breakdown, bran was incubated with microorganisms (yeast or sourdough) before bread-making. Using this new method, the percentage of phytate breakdown was near 90%, whereas 40% of phytate remained in traditional French bread. In conclusion, a prolonged fermentation with sourdough still leads to improved Mg and P solubility by decreasing phytate content and through acidification.

Conclusion

In conclusion, effective reduction of PA in bread-making can be obtained via sourdough fermentation or prolonged fermentation time. This reduction of phytate content to very low levels would make the wholemeal breads a good source of soluble phosphorus and magnesium. Future animal or human experiments should confirm if this higher mineral solubility observed in breads has repercussions on P and Mg utilization by the body.

Significance of the study to the baker

Although whole wheat is an important source of minerals such as potassium (K), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), or zinc (Zn) the absorption of these minerals by our bodies is impaired to the present of phytic acid present in wheat and other cereal grains. Phytic acid (PA) forms complexes with the minerals present in wheat holding onto them even after consumption thereby preventing them from being absorbed by our bodies. The current paper showed that after only 60 min of fermentation, 10% of PA had disappeared in yeast fermentation, whereas the PA breakdown in sourdough was near 25%. At the end of the fermentation (5 h of fermentation), the destruction of PA remained greater after sourdough fermentation than that observed in yeast fermentation.

Whole wheat bread made by the sourdough process degrades the phytic acid which is facilitated by enzymes such as phytase that is produced by lactic acid bacteria. The degradation of phytic acid thereby results in minerals such as phosphorus and magnesium being released freely when whole wheat sourdough is consumed making sourdough whole wheat breads higher in mineral bioavailability compared to yeasted whole wheat breads.

Try this out for yourself with Emmanuel Hadjiandreou’s Wholemeal sourdough recipe.

Qualify in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine

All reasonable care is taken when writing about health aspects of bread, but the information it contains is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Email Sign Up

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 Vanessa Kimbell
Call +44 (0)1604 881274 | Email [email protected]
Registered in England & Wales: 08412236
Website by Callia Web