Is white bread bad for you?

White bread may taste great for most of us, but it seems to be creating a real problem: it may increase the risk of obesity. When white bread is a diet staple, you may be more likely to become overweight or obese than if you favor whole grain bread, according to a new study. Reseachers from the University of Navarra (Spain) found that eating two or more servings a day of white bread raises the risk of obesity by 40 percent, compared to those who consume only one serving per week. For the study, more than 9,200 Spanish university graduates were examined for an average of five years. Participants who ate both white and whole grain breads were not at increased risk for weight gain. But those who ate only white bread and had two or more portions of white bread a day were 40 percent more likely to become overweight or obese than those who ate less than one portion of white bread a week, according to the study authors. The authors concluded that the nature of the carbohydrate content of fiber and other micronutrients in wholemeal bread and slower absorption of carbohydrates may explain the lack of association between consumption of these and obesity. ...

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