Sourdough Bread: it's healthy?

I don't know about you, but this was news to me. That's right— sourdough, a variety of white bread, has proven to yield some substantial health benefits. How, you ask? The answer lays in the fermentation process from which it's made. 

Unlike other breads leavened within a couple of hours time via baker's yeast, traditional sourdough leavens naturally through a slow method of fermentation. It all begins with a mixture of flour and water. After sitting out in room temperature for a given amount of time, wild yeast (a type of yeast that floats around in the air) and bacteria come to accumulate on the dough. As the wild yeast and bacteria interact to break down the flour's carbohydrates, lactic and acetic acids are produced.

Besides giving the bread its distinctive taste, the lactic acid makes the bread easier to digest, lowers its glycemic index (and thus prevents spikes in blood sugar), and creates an environment in which its minerals can be more readily absorbed by the body. The acetic acid is responsible for giving sourdough a longer shelf life and also contributes to its flavor. Furthermore, the bread's gluten content is cut down during fermentation, so sourdough may even be tolerable for those with gluten sensitivities.

A study by the University of Guelph goes as far as to say that sourdough is more beneficial than whole wheat bread, but it's important to note that the researchers had been testing against refined whole wheat, not 100% whole wheat in which the grains' nutrient-bearing kernels are intact. Nonetheless, sourdough certainly makes for a wholesome vehicle in which to pile on your meats, veggies, and spreads. I've had my fair share of sourdough sandwiches since delving into this most appetizing topic; if you've yet to experience this moist bread for yourself, I give you forewarning: it's positively addicting.