What you should do with bread, according to nutritionist Sara Marín: "It lowers your glucose spike, it's easier to digest, producing less inflammation and gas."

Whole-grain bread, with seeds, spelt, rye, wheat... with or without sourdough , 24-hour or 48-hour fermentation ... bread has become a key part of our diet in Spain, and in many cases, it's difficult to know which one is best for our bodies. The variety is endless, and new specialties are coming onto the market every day.

It seems to be well established that sourdough, if left to rest properly, helps prevent bread from causing excessive flatulence in our digestion . However, there is a specific and very simple tip that works especially well to prevent this flour-based staple from upsetting us, and it is shared by Dr. Sara Marín on her social media.

The food itself is as important as the way it is preserved.

It's no secret that diet is essential for our overall health, and that eating a varied and balanced diet, free of ultra-processed foods , added refined sugars, and saturated fats, is key to proper body function. But, in addition to planning what we eat, it's equally important to know how to cook and store it.

It also seems obvious that freezing food will help us combat food waste and also help it stay in optimal condition for longer. Well, if we combine both concepts—choosing the best bread, with its proper fermentation and artisanal production using whole-grain flours , and the option to freeze it—we have the trick that will improve our digestive health.

Freezing bread, the best way to prevent it from going bad

Freezing bread is a practical way to always have it available in most homes. If we also store it in slices , this will help us take out only the amount we need each day, so as not to waste anything or compromise the proper preservation of the rest of the bread.

What many people probably don't know is that with this simple gesture, we'll also be promoting our health. According to Dr. Sara Marín, "If you freeze bread and take a slice out to put in the pan or toaster, a large part of the bread's carbohydrates will be converted into prebiotic fiber," she says.

And what does this conversion achieve? " It lowers your glucose peak , it's easier to digest , producing less inflammation and gas ." The process that occurs in this case is that the starch in the bread is largely converted into resistant starch , which is a type of prebiotic fiber that won't be digested in the small intestine, but instead passes directly into the large intestine. Once it reaches its destination, this fiber serves as food for the bacteria in the microbiota, reducing their inflammation.

References

Mohamad Sobh, Joshua Montroy, Zeinab Daham, Stephanie Sibbald, Manoj Lalu, Alain Stintzi, David Mack, Dean A. Fergusson. 'Tolerability and SCFA production after resistant starch supplementation in humans: a systematic review of randomized controlled studies'. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Mar 4;115(3). Accessed online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34871343/ on September 6, 2025.