science

High-fibre white bread could be on sale in Britain within five years


High-fibre white bread could be on sale in Britain within five years after scientists created a new breed of wheat with twice the fibre of traditional white flour.

White bread is shunned by many health conscious people because it has very little nutritional value.

But in what might be the best thing to happen to the humble loaf since sliced bread, researchers have identified the parts of the wheat genome that control the fibre content of white flour.

The researchers claim that this discovery will allow plant breeders in the UK to cross-breed different varieties to create wheat that produces tasty white bread, but is also high in fibre.

It has raised hope that high-fibre white bread products could be on supermarket shelves within five years.

The high fibre white flour has up to twice the fibre of traditional white flour, but is otherwise identical and makes a 'good quality' white loaf, according to the researchers

The high fibre white flour has up to twice the fibre of traditional white flour, but is otherwise identical and makes a ‘good quality’ white loaf, according to the researchers

An international team, led by scientists at Herts-based Rothamsted Research and the John Innes Centre, opened the door to healthier white bread after they pinpointed genes responsible for the dietary fibre content of flour.

The high-fibre white flour they produced has up to twice the fibre of traditional white flour, according to the findings published in the journal PLOS One. 

They say the new white flour is otherwise identical and makes a ‘good quality’ white loaf – but with all the added health benefits that come from eating wholemeal bread, including reduced cancer, diabetes and obesity risks.

Study lead author Dr Alison Lovegrove, of Rothamsted Research, said the team had achieved the breakthrough by exploiting the results of an earlier genetic screening of more than 150 different wheat varieties from around the world.

She said: ‘We knew that the white flour made from one particular Chinese wheat variety, Yumai 34, was unusually high in fibre, but it’s not well suited for growing in the European climate.

‘Using conventional breeding techniques, we crossed this high fibre trait into several other varieties. This allowed us to narrow down where in its genome the genes for high fibre are.’

Traditionally, crop varieties are improved by identifying plants with desirable traits and breeding from them.

However, the scientists explained that the problem with high fibre is that it is not a trait that can be identified by eye – and biochemical lab tests for it are slow and expensive.

Dr Alison Lovegrove of Rothamsted Research said the quest to increase fibre in white bread through breeding had stalled in recent years

Dr Alison Lovegrove of Rothamsted Research said the quest to increase fibre in white bread through breeding had stalled in recent years

Dr Lovegrove said: ‘We’ve developed genetic markers that can easily be used by plant breeders to identify which individual wheat plants have the high fibre genes.’

That will allow them to incorporate the high fibre into elite wheat lines – and opens the possibility of significant increases in dietary fibre intake for everyone, she added.

Dr Lovegrove said that the quest to increase fibre in white bread through breeding had stalled in recent years – with various manufacturers instead producing loaves that contain both white and wholemeal flours, or have fibre from other sources added, in an attempt to address the issue.

She added: ‘We hope to go on and identify further genes that increase fibre content, thereby providing plant breeders, millers and food producers with even more options.’

The wheat genome is much bigger than the human genome – containing six copies of every chromosome rather than the two copies humans possess – which means wheat has in the region of 150,000 genes, compared to about 25,000 genes in humans.

By looking for sections of genetic code shared by plants with the high-fibre trait, the team were able to home in on the likely spots where high fibre genes reside.

The team are hopeful high fibre bread and other products made from white flour will be a staple within just five years now that breeders have a new tool with which to screen wheat lines.

The team are hopeful high fibre bread and other products made from white flour will be a staple within just five years now that breeders have a new tool with which to screen wheat lines.

The researchers found two sites in particular – on chromosomes 1B and 6B – that were strongly linked with high fibre in flour.

They explained that the conventional breeding of a new wheat variety is a slow process with breeders having to select wheat lines with high yield and disease resistance.

WHAT IS FIBER? 

Fiber is a carbohydrate that is not broken down into sugar molecules, unlike every other carb. 

Instead, fiber passes through the digestive tract, and helps to regulate how the body uses the other sugars passing through. 

While it is recommended to get 30 grams of fiber a day, most Americans get about half of that. 

There are two types of fiber to incorporate into your diet: 

1) INSOLUBLE FIBER

This type cannot dissolve in water. 

It helps to push food smoothly through the digestive system and prevents constipation. 

This group includes:

  • whole grain bread
  • brown rice
  • tomatoes
  • carrots
  • peanuts (a legume)
  • cucumbers

2) SOLUBLE FIBER

This type does dissolve in water. 

It helps to control glucose levels and cholesterol levels in the blood. 

This group includes:

  • oats
  • nuts
  • beans 
  • apples
  • blueberries 
  • lentils  

But the team are hopeful high-fibre bread and other products made from white flour will be a staple within just five years now that breeders have a new tool with which to screen wheat lines.

Dietary fibre describes carbohydrates we get from plant-based foods that aren’t digested in the small intestine and has been shown to have a number of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improving insulin sensitivity and reducing the incidence of certain types of cancer.

Although the mechanisms are incompletely understood they include a reduction in the time taken for food to pass through the intestines; binding cholesterol and carcinogens; promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut; and reducing the rate of both digestion and glucose release in the small intestine.

Most of the fibre found in wheat grain is in the bran – the part that is removed when producing white flour, and what differentiates it from wholemeal flour.

A slice of typical white bread has about 1g of fibre, whereas wholemeal has about 3g. A slice from a high fibre white loaf could contain up to 2g.

Government advice suggests adults should eat about 30g of fibre a day, but the average adult in the UK currently only eats about 18g.

Wholemeal is widely regarded as being much better for us – but white bread still outsells it, making up three-quarters of around 12 million loaves sold in the UK each day.

Taste, appearance, shelf life and price are the main reasons why shoppers favour white bread, while the £8 billion a year pre-packed sandwich industry prefers it as it refrigerates better.



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