Last Updated on December 16, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Bread is an inevitable part of our everyday diets. Be it breakfast, snacks, or bigger meals of the day; bread can be accommodated everywhere.
Making a shift from white bread to multigrain bread is known to be a healthier alternative. But is it shift also helpful for diabetic patients?
Diabetes is a chronic condition affecting the body’s metabolism that, in turn, has an impact on several functions of the body. One has to be extra careful about one’s food choices and habits when managing diabetes. These lifestyle changes are necessary.
But does multigrain bread fall under these good habits? Let us find out today about this and learn about related topics.
Is Multigrain bread good for diabetics?
Bread is a popular go-to food choice because of its easy availability as well as versatile nature. But at the same time, it is also despised because bread is a rich source of carbs and calories. Thus, blood sugar patients are often confused about making a choice.
But the good news is that you don’t have to give up on bread. Multigrain bread is a great option for diabetic patients who are also safe and beneficial to their health.
Multigrain bread has been approved to be added to your diabetic diets safely. Thus, making a tweak in your bread choices from the daily white bread to the healthful multigrain bread can prove to be very helpful in assisting blood sugar management.
Alongside whole wheat bread, multigrain bread also stands as a healthy and recommended choice of bread for diabetics or anyone looking to cut off on the daily carb intake.
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Multigrain bread, as the name suggests, is made by mixing two or more types of grains. Therefore, it holds the goodness of a variety of grains apart from just the traditional wheat.
The multigrain breads are mostly combined with grains such as – whole wheat, barley, oats, millets, flax, almond flour, soy flour, bran, etc. So you can get the benefit of all of these healthy grains when you have multigrain bread.
It has also been proven that multigrain bread is lower in sugar and consists of more vitamins and minerals than regular types of bread. Therefore, it provides a wide range of nutrients that one can benefit from, especially for diabetic individuals.
Multigrain bread is also more commendable as it has a lot of fiber. Diabetic patients are always advised to stock up their diets with fiber. This is because fiber helps improve the body’s metabolic functioning and helps to digest food at a slower pace. This, in turn, assists in keeping the blood sugar levels of the body under control and prevents sudden spikes.
Multigrain bread is high in fiber due to grains such as flax, wheat bran, millets, and other whole grains. Mixing all of these good grains also adds protein to the diet, which is another essential nutrient.
All in all, you can include multigrain bread in your diabetic diet without any hesitation and keep your blood sugar levels under check. But are there any restrictions on the quantity of bread that you can eat?
Let us find out.
How many slices of multigrain bread can a diabetic eat per day?
Each slice of multigrain bread contains lesser calories and carbs as compared to regular white bread. So you can have more slices of multigrain bread than white bread.
But there is a specified healthy limit when it comes to multigrain bread for diabetic patients.
The safe amount of bread portion for multigrain bread for diabetes is 7-8 slices in a day. This good number as 7-8 slices are satisfactory enough for a meal or even for a day’s allowance.
When it comes to white bread made from all-purpose flour, one must restrict oneself to only 3 slices per day. This is because white bread has more calories and carbs that can raise your blood sugar levels rapidly.
On the other hand, you can have more slices of healthier bread alternatives such as whole wheat or multigrain bread. You can top your bread with healthy spreads or make a veggie sandwich that is rich in fiber for added benefits.
It is better if you don’t resort to bread daily, even if it is multigrain bread. You can consume bread every alternate day. For more safety, you can even consult your doctors about your daily limit for bread consumption, as they might have more clarity about your diabetic health levels.
It is best to stick to the suggested portions and prevent overdoing the quantities to ensure that there are no risks caused to your sugar levels and health in general.
What is the glycemic index of multigrain bread?
Until now, we discussed that multigrain bread is diabetes-friendly. But let us look at a parameter of judgment that proves its safety for diabetics.
The glycemic index is a measure that determines the safety of various food items as per their carbohydrate content. It shows how a particular food will affect one’s blood sugar levels upon consumption.
Glycemic index is measured on a scale of 0 to 100. The foods after ranking are categorized into 3 groups. The three glycemic index categories are:
| Sl. No. | Glycemic Index categories | Glycemic Index ranges |
| Low Glycemic Index (safe for diabetics) | 0 to 55 | |
| Medium Glycemic Index (safe when taken in moderate quantities) | 55 to 69 | |
| High Glycemic Index (unsafe for diabetics) | From 70 and above |
As per the above table, we can easily find out if multigrain bread is safe for diabetic patients or not. The glycemic index of multigrain bread is only 48. This shows that multigrain bread falls under the safe diabetic category.
On the other hand, white bread has a very high glycemic index of above 75. This shows that white bread is unsafe for diabetic consumption and that multigrain bread can be a great healthy substitute.
Which is better whole grain or multigrain bread?
Both whole grain and multigrain types of bread are commonly recommended for diabetic patients. They are healthier as compared to regular white bread and help in keeping the blood sugar levels low.
However, when there is a comparison between whole grain and multigrain bread, whole grain bread is better due to its extra benefits.
Whole wheat bread consists of all of the parts of the wheat rain, including its germ, endosperm, and bran fused. This makes it higher in fiber and balances the carbs. Unlike this, white bread is made from refined wheat flour that lacks the fusion of all of these parts of the grain.
On the other hand, multigrain bread is made by fusing two or more kinds of grains available. But! The grains are not necessarily whole grains. A lot of times, these grains go through refining that strips them of their nutrients and fiber.
Besides, all multigrain bread does not have a wide variety of grains. The variety can range from just 2 to even around 12. Bread with the higher grain variety is better.
Multigrain bread also covers a wider spectrum of nourishing elements like vitamins and minerals, and fiber. But at the same time, multigrain bread might be made from refined wheat flour added with multiple grains. This may take away some crucial health benefits.
Instead of all this, both of these types of bread are safe for diabetic consumption. They have their benefits, and in this game of comparison, whole grain bread takes away the spot.
Whole grain bread is a powerhouse of many nutrients and protein. It is also an excellent choice for patients with heart ailments.
You can also ensure that your multigrain bread is safer by checking its label to see if the multiple grains are used in their whole forms or not.
Which is better brown bread or multigrain bread?
When it comes to comparing brown bread and multigrain bread, then multigrain bread is the better choice as it is healthier.
Brown bread is made from mixing whole wheat flour and refined wheat flour. The proportions of the flours used may vary. The benefits of multigrain grain are the highest when the bread is based on whole wheat.
On the other hand, multigrain bread consists of many flours added with grains as well. It has almond flour, soy flour, oatmeal, etc., based on either refine or whole wheat flour.
Thus, this combination offers a lot of good variety to your diet. The amount of fiber in multigrain bread is also higher as compared to brown bread.
Brown bread is, however, healthier than white bread that is made from only refined wheat flour. But when compared to multigrain bread, brown bread comes second in terms of health benefits.
Can you eat multigrain bread daily?
Well, as we already stated, multigrain bread is a good choice of bread but needs to be controlled portion-wise. It is not recommended to have bread every day, even if it is multigrain bread.
You can go for multigrain bread every alternate day or so. This ensures that your health is out of risk.
Too much bread can lead to calorie and carb overload with time. Hence, it is necessary not to include them daily. Moreover, you have to be certain to use your slices of bread healthily by proper preparation.
Diabetes is a condition that asks for strict portion control, even when it comes to healthy food choices.
REFERENCES:
https://www.sehat.com/Is-multigrain-bread-good-for-diabetics
https://www.quora.com/Which-bread-is-better-brown-bread-or-multigrain-bread
