Carbohydrates:
The majority of the carbohydrate in wheat flour is complex and vital for providing energy. We need to eat more complex carbohydrate - rich foods to replace some of the fat in our diets and nutritionists recommend we eat between four and six slices of bread a day (depending on the thickness of the slice).

Carbohydrates are our number one fuel for energy and should supply 50% of our calorie intake. As a staple food, rich in complex carbohydrates bread can help:

• Increase your stamina and fight fatigue
• Boost energy and performance
• Fill you up so you’re not tempted by those fattening snacks
• Make you feel happier! A breakfast rich in complex carbohydrates such as bread has been shown to improve your mood and make you feel more alert
• Can help you lose weight as part of a low fat diet
• A high intake of fibre rich carbohydrate can reduce the risk of developing cancers of the gastrointestinal tract including colon cancer

Vitamins:
The human body cannot organically make the vitamins it needs and, therefore, vitamins must be sourced from foods on a daily basis. Flour and bread can provide an important range of some of the vitamins we need to stay healthy:

Vitamin B1: Thiamin
Thiamin allows the body to release and use energy from carbohydrates. It also plays a role in neurological and cardiological functions. The average adult should consume 1.4mg per day. A good source of vitamin B1 is the germ of cereals.

Vitamin B2: Riboflavin
Riboflavin helps the body to release energy from protein, fat and carbohydrates and is essential to keep the membranes of our eyes, mouth and intestines healthy. Riboflavin also contributes to the transportation and metabolism of iron in the body.

Vitamin B3: Niacin
Niacin contributes to the oxidative release of energy from foods. It protects our skin and mucous membranes, as well as supporting normal neurological function.

Vitamin B6:
Vitamin B6 assists protein metabolism and the transport and metabolism of iron via the blood. It also helps maintain normal blood levels of homocysteine; an amino acid believed to be important in heart disease. A good source of vitamin B6 is wheat germ.

Vitamin Bc: Folic Acid
Folic acid is also one of the B group of vitamins. It assists in the formation of new cells and is therefore essential for the growth and development of foetus. It also contributes to the maintenance of normal blood homocysteine levels.

Anti-oxidants:
Anti-oxidants are present naturally in many foods, such as fruit and vegetables, and are also found in bread and flour. For example, phenolic acids are present in wheat flour and have been shown experimentally to have properties that suppress tumor growth and modulate enzymes. Evidence suggests that anti-oxidants may help to protect against heart disease and some cancers. Some antioxidants are particular to cereal foods and deprivation should therefore be avoided as each anti-oxidant shields a different part of the body from oxidative attack.

Protein:
Protein, as we all know, is good for the growth, maintenance and repair of the body and is low in most all of the body’s biological processes such as immune protection, structural support, nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction. 10-12% of wheat flour is protein and is low in fat unlike many animal proteins.

Iron:
Iron can be found in cereal foods including bread. It is an essential part of haemoglobin and helps transport oxygen around the body. It plays a vital role in the body’s metabolic reactions and is necessary for the normal function of our immune system. Iron is essential for the normal neurological development of embryos.

Fibre:
All breads contain a significant amount of dietary fibre. Wholemeal bread in particular is a rich source of fibre – providing three times more than white bread. Fibre not only maintains a vigorous digestive system but may help to guard us against certain cancers and diabetes. There is ample evidence to suggest that people who have a healthy heart tend to consume wholegrain cereal foods. Based on the officially approved method of analysis, it is recommended that adults consume around 25g of fibre per day.

Calcium:
Don’t forget bread as a source of calcium - for strong, healthy bones and teeth. Calcium is necessary for normal nerve and muscle function, as well as normal clotting of the blood. We all need calcium and intake requirements vary according to age. In particular, the following groups are particularly vulnerable to calcium deficiencies: babies and children, pregnant women and those breastfeeding and people over 45.

Bread Stats:

(Source: The Flour Advisory Bureau)