Is Freezing Bread Really Healthier? Here’s What the Science Says
Several recent claims on TikTok have suggested that freezing bread can actually make it healthier. These social media influencers mention research that allegedly supports these claims. However, the actual health effects may not be as significant as they seem.
The Science Behind Freezing Bread
When bread is cooked, the combination of heat and water causes the starch in the flour to expand and gelatinize. This process, known as baking, gives bread its soft and fluffy texture. Gelatinized starches are easier to digest, making the sugars they contain more accessible to our cells. This is particularly true for freshly cooked starchy foods like white bread and potatoes, which are low in fiber or made from finely milled flours.
However, when these gelatinized starches are cooled, they shrink back down and become what’s known as resistant starches. Resistant starches are harder for our digestive enzymes to break down, which means the sugar they contain is less accessible to our cells. As a result, they are less likely to cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels after consumption.
When bread is frozen, the rate of contraction is almost twice as high compared to refrigeration, resulting in the formation of more resistant starch. Freezing bread also helps retain the water content, keeping it fresher and softer compared to storing it in the refrigerator where it can go stale.
Understanding the Effects of Frozen Bread
A study involving ten healthy individuals examined the impact of freezing white bread and toasting it. They compared this to the effects of consuming store-bought loaves versus homemade bread.
For homemade bread samples, freezing and thawing the bread led to a 31 percent reduction in blood sugar spikes over two hours. Interestingly, toasting fresh bread also lowered the rise in glucose by 25 percent.
When homemade bread was frozen, thawed, and then toasted, the blood sugar response decreased by 39 percent. This reduction could potentially aid in controlling hunger as glucose and insulin levels will not rise as significantly after consuming the frozen bread.
However, the same blood sugar response improvement was not observed for commercial store-bought white bread. This discrepancy might be attributed to the different methods used in making homemade and commercial bread. Perhaps the ingredients and the cooling process play a role in minimizing the impact of freezing on the formation of resistant starch. The evidence on this matter remains unclear.
Recent research also echoes the findings mentioned above. Various studies have consistently indicated the advanta
