How Much Sugar Is In Whole Wheat Bread?
Bread is a staple in most pantries. Many people eat this food at least once per day for toast, sandwiches, and more. It's clear that some types of bread are healthier than others. According to Eat This, Not That!, many store-bought breads are full of sodium, sugar, and other additives. People seeking out healthier types of bread often turn to whole wheat bread, which sounds much healthier than white bread. But is it really that much better for you?
According to Verywell Health, whole wheat bread is a better option for you than white bread. Whole wheat bread contains the bran and germ of the wheat kernel, two things that are typically stripped during processing to make white bread. This bread also contains fiber, B vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, and magnesium. While some brands of whole wheat bread contain no sugar, most do in order to make them taste more appetizing. According to the USDA, one slice of whole grain bread contains four grams of sugar. That isn't a lot, but if you eat three or four slices of bread per day, those grams can add up.
The dangers of too much sugar in your diet
It's not just bread that can be hiding hidden sugar. Many processed foods contain sugar for added flavor. The American Heart Association recommends that men should have no more than 36 grams of sugar per day and women should have no more than 25 grams per day. Sugar has virtually no nutritional value and can increase your risk for a variety of health problems including weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease (via Medical News Today). Eating too much sugar can also cause irritability, fatigue, acne, cavities, and joint pain.
According to Eat This, Not That!, eating large amounts of sugar at once can cause digestive issues as well. "Too much white sugar won't help you if you're trying to promote healthy bacteria in your system," said Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDN. If you want to decrease your sugar intake, be sure to check the nutrition labels of all processed foods before you buy them. Avoid foods that contain large amounts of added sugars in them.