Does Sourdough Bread cause Blood Sugar Spikes for People with Diabetes? Dr Chan explains 

What you left out, which is really important is that despite the fact that traditional sourdough ingredients are flour, water, and salt, many store-bought versions include added yeast, ascorbic acid, vinegar and oil. So, although many grocery stores may carry bread labelled “sourdough”, more often than not they are in fact fake sourdough. Real sourdough bread takes time and patience. It is a lengthy multi-stage process that takes days to complete. You can usually tell real sourdough bread by checking the ingredients which should be just flour, water and salt PLUS the price. It will be more expensive than those knock-offs due to how much time goes into making it.

My A1C went from 8.4 to 6.5 in 90 days. Dropped 30.lbs in the process. No alcohol, junk food, processed sugar or fried foods. eat real food. steak, chicken, fish, salads, vegetables etc. Go to the Gym 3x a week, lifting weights etc.. No pharmaceuticals whatsoever!!!!!!!! You can do this!!!!!!!!!

I’ve been diabetic for three years, and pretty much gave up bread. I recently learned about sourdough, and that the GI is lower. I made some starter and have been trying some recipes. I wear a CGM, so I watched what my sugar did. I have noticed that as long as I have it with protein - and in moderation - I tolerate it very well. I love having a few bread products back in my life! Thank you for your explanation.

As a sourdough home baker, I picked C! I feed my starter to activate it, add the ingredients, mix then do stretch and folds once every hour for 3 hours. Let it ferment 8-12 hours on the counter. Shape it then refrigerate another 2-6 hours or longer before baking. This is why real sourdough bread will cost more than yeast bread. It takes time. So check the package to make sure it’s the real deal and expect to pay a pretty penny. 😂

It’s also very important to note that sourdough bread describes the natural leaven only. The type of sourdough bread can vary greatly from all white flour to wheat flour to rye, etc. The type of flour used probably has a big impact on the glycemic index of sourdoughs

C: SourDough bread does raise blood sugar but at a lesser and slower rate. One still must limit ones total net carbohydrate.

Rarely to see RU-vidr or Dr explaint this with high accuracy and easy to understand 👍

What I have detected - wearing a Freestyle Libre Sensor - bread (any type) from a supermarket will spike your blood sugar a lot higher, than a traditional bread made by a good baker (I am German and we are quite well-known for our extensive bread range). A real good bread from a good bakery will still raise your blood sugar, but a lot lower than a store-bought bread (the type you usually get at American supermarkets) and a lot slower. So you can have your slice of bread for breakfast and don't bee too concerned, especially because after breakfast you usually start your day and have a lot more activity (at least in Germany, when walking or bicycling to school/work). So have your slice, enjoy it and avoid it for the rest of the day.

Dr Chan, thanks for your informative video. God bless you.

Thank you Dr. For explaining the glycemic index for sour dough bread.

This subject was perfect! I was wondering about this and always make my own bread. Thank you. Dr. Chan.

When my dad had the grocery store, sourdough breads were delivered daily fresh of the oven in the morning. Still very warm, so good! I think if you eat it slowly and with protein and fat (butter, ghee), the sugar spike would not be as bad.

I am a T2D who bakes sourdough bread every day but I never eat it. From everyday experience it raises blood sugar just the same as other bread. It might be healthier than other bread but in real world effects its the same. The main ingredient is carbohydrates that get processed into sugar.

I will say C , because if I eat one slice my blood sugar stay normal but if I eat two slices it raises .

The most important thing about sour dough bread and something all diabetics should be cognizant of is that sour dough bread can be beneficial to the upper GI tract. If given an option between breads that have similar glucose hits, choosing the sour dough will give added benefits.

Dr. Chan, thank you so much for explaining about sourdough bread. I do homemade sourdough and it's so delicious. No chemicals and no preservatives. It's easy to digest and the interior is airy, the crust is crusty. I really enjoy eating toasted with a hard boiled egg and a cup of cappuccino in the morning. Yeah! It's chewy in the mouth. No wonder sourdough bread has been around for at least one thousand years. We have so much to learn from the ancient Egyptians. Also, thank you for the website. I will do some homework.

Thank you for your information it's very important and helpful 👍🏽 keep up the good information videos.

Beautifully explained 👏 with a website and a demo and numbers and reason. This is the type of education that is missing in the world that has caused global health issues and all other problems. Many thanks Doctor. Greatly appreciated 🙏

Has anyone tried Ezekiel bread? Normally found in your freezer section. It is a sprouted grain bread w/ a glycemic index of 36. And it is very tasty.

Thank you sir , Dr. Chan you explained that very thuroughly.. thanks again 👌👍

To all the people complaining the real sourdough bread is expensive or hard to get: 1. Mix about 3-4 tablespoons of sourdough starter, 150 g of dark rye flour and 150 ml of water, leave overnight in a warm place. 2. Add 200 g of dark rye flour, 200 g of regular white wheat flour, 200 ml of water, and 1.5 tsp of salt. You can also add some grains or spices (I use a lot of caraway) 3. Mix until you get a kind of gloopy sticky dough. Line a baking tray with baking paper and transfer the dough onto it. Leave in a warm place until it grows and takes shape of a loaf of bread (could take up to 8 h). 4. Put into a cold oven. Set to 200-220 C and bake for 1 hour.

Thank you. You absolutely cleared up the questions in my mind

Something I was curious about .ThanKs for the clarity.

Thank you for this video information, I truly appreciate and didn't know about these facts. Extremely helpful. I look forward to all of your knowledge.

Yes it does spike blood sugar levels. Rx: PAR-bake it (bake for 20 minutes @ 400°F) then FREEZE it for several days/weeks which will seemingly alter the enzymes etc. responsible for the initial full 'rising'; then, after the 'rest' in a freezer, let thaw to near room temp. & continue/complete the baking. The Blood sugar spikes will be lessened - for me. Experiment - You might want to consider the 'freeze/thaw' several times based on your glycemic 'numbers'. Once the bread has risen to full size, freezing wont change much in taste nor 'crumb' (gas holes) development, .... and only minor change in the wonderful 'taste' of a good sourdough bread. Besides, if you freeze several loafs, you wont have to go the the laborious process everytime you want sourdough bread - just thaw and complete the baking of the already par-baked bread.

i started making my own this year after being intrigued by the process and after doing a little research found it to be a low gi so was a good choice to changed my breakfast toast to my home made sourdough then the store brought white bread and it a 50/50 mix plain/wholemeal flour mix as well as the other bacterial benefits

Oh man this video is packed full of good information. A very good analysis. Thank you

Great video DR. Chan , thank you so much.👍👍👍👍👍

Part of the problem with the information provided is that sourdough bread isn't only a single kind of bread made from one universal recipe, so you can't really make blanket statements that apply to the GI of all sourdough breads. Are we talking about sourdough bread made from refined white wheat flour that has been stripped of all of its fiber? Or are we talking about sourdough bread made from 100% whole wheat flour, that retains the fiber from the wheat bran? Or are we referring to one made with a combination of both? The GI of all 3 will be different, with the white flour version being highest and the 100% whole wheat being lowest, and the combo version being somewhere in between. And there is also sourdough bread made from a combination of wheat and non-wheat grains, such as rye. And again, that rye flour can be combined with white flour, whole wheat, a combo of both, or just rye flour with added wheat gluten. They each will have a different GI, as well. And then there are the other ingredients that may have been added, such as sugar, honey, molasses, etc. I think a good rule of thumb is to ignore the fact that it's a sourdough bread and go with what type of flours it is made with, and in what proportions, along with its other ingredients, and regard it the same as normal bread made from the same ingredients. Or even better, read your nutrition labels and check the total fiber content to total carb ratio, by multiplying the total fiber by 7, and if that result is equal or higher than total carbs, go ahead and have some, but don't over-do it. And that rule applies to homemade, as well. All of your ingredients should have nutrition labels that you can use as your guide. You'll have to do your own more complicated math to get the final combined totals per slice, though.

Thank you very much for the link to the GL index. Great information. I’ve known Sourdough was a little lower than other breads. So always eat just a slice. Gotta allow some innocent pleasures to our life.

Thank you Dr. Chan, I was wondering about that very thing. I love my sourdough bread. The one thing I noticed is that I don't get bloated from this bread.

I had just been wondering about this! Thank you for addressing this.

Thanks for confirming. I have a slice of toasted SD bread and rub garlic on it and spread avocado. Delicious

I learned some where else the easiest test to make on your bread despite the words on the label. Most people will know what I am saying. Leave your bread in a warm room for a couple days. If it turns moly right away then you know its made with good ingredients. IF it doesn't mold throw it away! I also learned, because of this, that even Walmart has bread in freezers/coolers. Must be something in it worth eating then! Look at the bread at your stores stored this way, if you don't want to make it yourself. Any one else see the study they did on freezing white food, pasta, bread? Its on YT. When you freeze the food overnight? It becomes so much healthier for you.

Hi there. I loved the data base where we can check the Gi amounts on certain foods. I just had a full test for diabetes and doing research now to become aware before I receive my results next week. It's a long wait. Thank you I found your webpage

Thank you Doc Chan for the infor, appreciate this very much.

Yay! I bake whole wheat sourdough bread once a week for my husband and myself. I've also noticed it seems to help my IBS.

Thanks, your videos are very informative. Have you done anything on Barley or Bulgur wheat?

Thank you Dr. For enlightening facts of sourdough bread.

Thank you for sharing a very helpful source of GI information!

Thanks for this informative video on sourdough Dr Chan. I make sourdough on a regular basis although I also buy breads from stores too. From what I've read about sourdough it does do better with digestion compared to store bought breads. Sourdough is much more natural in terms of ingredients than commercial breads which include flour enhancers and other additives.

Dr Chan thanks soooooo much for the way you explain it. I fully understand it perfectly well ❤

Thank you Dr. Very informative!

from: Anchorage AK ....concise, factual, and excellent presentation 👍👍.....know what you eat with FACTS & science !... I am a male over 70 with type 2 as of Fed. 2022.

As a fairly recently diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic, I use the ingredients label to decide if I can have something food wise or not, based on the sugar content more than anything. I buy Tesco's White Sourdough bread because the sugars per slice are only 0.4, plus I only ever really have bread for breakfast, not with any other meal and a maximum of 2 slices. I will very occasionally make a sandwich from said bread, with say some egg mayo or sliced corned beef or sliced chicken with a small sprinkle of salt, but lots of black pepper, so my intake of bread at most is 2 slices a day and very occasionally 4 slices, making my intake a maximum of 1.2 grams of sugars. One slice of a normal white loaf of bread can be that or more on it's own. There is also the difference in how blood glucose is measured in each country, the monitor I use does it in MMOL/L which is how I understand blood sugars as I worked for the NHS here for 18 years, there are newer ways of how blood sugars ae monitored here as well, but I don't understand them. Based on the standard range of 3.5 to 5.5 MMOL/L used in UK Hospitals here, that is what I work on, so if my sugars are say 8.3 in the morning, they are actually too high and should be lower. I am mindful of most things I eat for the level of sugars etc.

Hi. Dr, It depend if a Sourdough bread is bought from the bakery or homemade. Bakery sourdough used plain flour little sourdough starter, add yeast & sugar to help the rise of the bread. Whereas, homemade Sourdough Bread uses 100% whole wheat flour, no sugar and solely Sourdough starter. I baked my own Sourdough Bread & German Multi seeds Rye Bread and I have it for my daily breakfast, my blood sugar does rise a little of course but is in a healthy range. Anything we eat after a meal will spike our blood sugar. I am a Type 1 Diabetic my fasting glucose reading daily is less than 6mmol. And every morning besides the 2 types of bread, I will have 3 types of fruits too for my breakfast.

Thank you for this informative video. There is so much misinfomation about diabetes and pre-diab. on the internet so I appreciate this video which is taking an impartial and well-reasoned look at the sourdough bread controversy.

I choose C I eat sourdough bread 2 time's a week with eggs. Small piece, toasted. Happy New years to you and your family 🙏❣️🤗🎉🎉

C - I feel that is the philosophy of type two diabetes. Keyword is moderation. Thank you doctor for explaining what exactly GI means. that is very helpful

I think it depends on the bread yeast used. Not all sourdough bread is created equal. My sourdough bread is fermented for 24 hours. Most are not fermented that long.

your video was very useful thank you.

Excellent video! Well explained in a short and concise manner 👍🏼

I learned and try to practice in moderation. However, I do love bread. I learned from Carb Lovers that sourdough bread is third in rank for resistant starch (RS). The first on the list is pumpernickel, next is rye, 3rd. sourdough, and fourth is whole wheat. I like rye bread so I use it the most.

I pick C. The bread is fermented before baking and as such has less sugars. But it still has carbs so it should be taken carefully.

Thank you, Doctor.

Thank you very useful.

What if you used freshly ground whole wheat berries in your sourdough starter (which is made of flour and water) and freshly ground flour?

C. If you're eating it the right sourdough.and portion control.

Thanks doc. Appreciate it.

Also be mindful of what we put on top of the sough bread slice . More often than not, we tend to put a whole stack of other things. 😁

Now, as a Type 2 diabetic, what I've found is that even when I eat something like Sourdough bread, even if it doesn't give me a large spike immediately it gives me a longer period of elevated glucose unless I do something like exercise to burn it off. Wouldn't that have roughly the same impact on A1C as a spike that dissipates in a short amount of time? As a result, I avoid all types of bread. Even Mission Low-Carb Tortillas (which are a lie, I know now) raised my A1C by .3 and caused my Triglycerides to skyrocket.

It should be C as Sourdough still have carbohydrate from the flour.

Thx Dr. Very helpful advice indeed.

Yes Very sensible conclusion.

Thank you. I eat sourdough bread because it does not cause the same problems that gluten does, but I am also prediabetic so that was really useful.

I put mine through a long ferment. Not all sourdough bread is created equal.

Thank you Doctor, I am diabetic and I love Sourdough bread but I do limit myself to just one a day but sometimes two a day, You answered my question, thank you for the information.

Thank you,. Very useful info.

Good Video. I have a continuous glucose monitor, because I don’t feel lows coming on, until I am so low that I can’t do anything about them. After 3 extreme lows down around between 30 and 40 mg/dL in five weeks, I was prescribed a CGM. Being an Engineer, I began analyzing what I eat, and how it effects my glucose levels. And, from that developing my own Glycemic Index for various foods. I can see a slight difference in the GI of sourdough for the local bakery and commercially produced sourdough at the grocery store. All of he commercial brands have less fiber, and added sugar. Consequently they have higher GI numbers than the bread from the local. “Net Carbs”; is very big in the USA. Subtract the fiber from the carbohydrates on the label, and you have “net carbs”. Which is a little helpful but not highly helpful. I go a bit further and come out with the “Reactive Carbs”. Once you have subtracted the fiber, add back the total sugars (this doubles them), and then double and add back the added sugars (this quadruples the added sugar). For example: A 123-gram serving of canned stewed tomatoes has, 7-g of carbohydrate, 1-g of fiber, 5-g sugar, and 2-g of added sugar. So starting with the 7-g total, subtract the 1-g of fiber, for a net carb of 6-g. Add back the 5-g of sugar for 11-g, then double and add the 2-g of added sugars, 11+4=15. So the low percentage of fiber, combined with the sugars and added sugars, mean it is fairly reactive, and will rapidly raise the blood glucose level. Only the high level of water makes it not highly reactive and slows it down a bit. This does a very good job of predicting what the influence of various foods are on my glucose levels. Highly reactive foods raise blood glucose rapidly, followed by a rapid fall. Low reactive foods, such as refined beans, which have a high percentage of the total carbs as fiber and little or no sugar, have lower reactive index, and cause a slower rise in Glucose levels, and then slowly fade away. A baby level introduction to Calculus: If you have a Continuous Glucose Montor, (CGM), and look at the graph of your glucose levels over a two or three day period, the area under the graph is directly related to how many kCal you consumed, and the rise and fall rates of the graph after you eat, and until the next meal, are directly related to how easily hose calories are converted to glucose in your body. My normal breakfast of two fried eggs, refried beans with a bit of cheese added, and two small high fiber tortillas, which is a high protein, low reactive carb (high fiber, low sugar, low general carbs) meal has a slow steady rise rate, 1..5 hours to the peak, at about 40mg/dL above my morning fasting value, followed by a three hour slow drop until lunch. A breakfast with similar gross carbs would be the same eggs, served with two slices of sourdough toast with butter, and a serving of no sugar added raspberry jam. This highly reactive, (about the same gross carbs, very low fiber) breakfast will launch my glucose levels to 100-150 mg/dL above my morning fast in less than an hour, and will drop back down to below my morning fasting values in another hour, and leave me urgently low if i wait my normal 4.5 to 5-hours before lunch. For me the “reactivity index is more meaningful than the GI, or “net carbs”. Try it. It may work for you.

You should also mention that traditionally made Sourdough SPELT bread (flour, water, salt) is the only bread that is FODMAP approved. Also spelt is non gmo and almost always grown organically. Tastes better that traditional wheat bread too.

Stewart Scrimgeour May 6th 2022 Hello Dr Chan Thank you for the information. Sourdough bread should be treated like all other foods moderation is the name of the game

Excelent video, thanks for the information

I experienced the same with “real” sourdough bread. Unfortunately, some sourdough breads do not contain any sourdough starter/culture. Some brands use vinegar and call itself sourdough

C sourdough does raise my blood sugar, but not as bad as other breads on the market.

Thank you for sharing 👍

I kept forgetting which food the doctor was discussing, so I am grateful that he said "sourdough bread" 35 times

C. Bakery-style sourdough bread, and english muffins, are what are best for me. The Pepperidge Farm, and Brownberry, style grocery loaves are not good for blood sugar. Sourdough is a godsend.

Unfortunately my blood sugar rises exactly the same whether I eat a slice of sourdough or a slice of ordinary white bread weighing the same 😢

Great information. Thanx

Great information, thanks.

Thanks doctor for the video. Was glad that I didn’t buy too big a loaf of bread for my mum, who sadly let 4 of her 4 kids to inherit her diabetes. I bought the bread from a baker of buns and asked on the sweetness and was told okay for diabetics. Felt that such information should be shared with those schools that offered baking courses in this epidemic.

Hello Dr Chan, thank you for your Videos with opinions on eating Healthy. Could you please cover foods to eat that would help to reverse Diabetes or reverse a Pre-diabetic condition! Thank you again! KC Kuruvilla Bangalore, India

Wow good job thank you for making it very clear.

As a t2 diabetic and age 75, I use a glucose meter before and after eating. Tomorrow we are having two BLTs on toasted sourdough. I will be certain to record the sugar spike differences. 140 is my max allowance for BSL.

This was quite insightful as I am on keto and none of the keto breads or recipes have been pleasing to my palate so was about to jump on the sourdough wagon but with this I guess not. A question I would like to ask though is about fermented corn or fermented millet. In Africa we have a hot porridge we make from corn or millet or Guinea corn fermented for 5 days. Considering then the similar fermented effect as with kimchi and sauerkraut would this be okay?

My answer was C. I love sourdough bread!

Excellent information!

Good video, When I eat bread it is in the morning and I do a 10 min walk and lift weights. Thanks

Thank you for the important information you provide. I've pretty much taken bread in general completely out of my diet for the last ~ 40 years, and I still miss toast. Love a piece of toast and butter in the morning. But, maybe with this info I can modify my diet for a piece of toast and butter here and there. Awesome. And thank you again for the important info you provide.

I had some today and it still raised my sugar levels not the same as fast and high glycemic carbs

Thanks Dr. Chan.....great info.

Thankyou for that info .

A true sourdough bread should not include yeast.

It actually isn't just about the GI - it also goes about the Glycaemic _LOAD_ !

Thanks for bringing this video to us.

Thank you for that information I only like sourdough bread. I don’t eat any other kind of bread so to know it is a little less gives me some comfort. Thank you for the information.

Are breads made with vital wheat gluten and oat fibre ok for diabetics to eat. Will these 2 ingredients spike blood sugar? Would appreciate if u could elaborate on it.

I would encourage people to try Ezekiel bread.... It's not only fermented but its sprouted and very filling. I try to keep my carbs low and Ezekiel bread with an egg and butter is one of my favorite breakfasts

thank you

😲, I Have told my mom eat as much as you want sour dough