Fiber-enriched bread as an aid in the nutritional management of dislipemic patients.

BIANCO I.D.; BELTRAMO D.M.; G. DIAZ; PEDROSA SILVA CLERICI M.T.

Bread Consumption and Health

Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Lugar: Hauppauge; Año: 2012; p. 59 - 65

In the XXI century the main epidemics are not infectious diseases such as cholera, bubonic plague or AIDS, but chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer. What these conditions have in common is that all have been linked to nutrition and lifestyle. In this context, it has been shown that nutritional fiber can modify the glycemic index inducing a slow and steady absorption of food and increasing the secretion of incretins by the digestive system. Furthermore, soluble fiber is important to decrease the absorption of bile acids and cholesterol contributing in the prevention of dislipemy and colon cancer. Nutritional fiber can also decrease the caloric density of food aiding to weight control. Bread is a food with special characteristics because it is widely accepted and can be manipulated to change its composition so as to be complete, accessible and enriched with nutritional elements. It has been shown that patients receiving chitosan-containing bread decreased their mean levels of LDL cholesterol and significantly increased their mean levels of HDL cholesterol. Recent studies in bread making include the addition of chia flour as a gluten-free source of omega three fatty acids, soluble fiber and protein. Hydrocolloids have also been employed as modifiers of dough volume and rheology.