One of Britain's most renowned diet experts has warned shoppers not to choose "healthy" bread of various types when shopping at the supermarket.
While fresh versions purchased at bakeries are rich in bacteria that help gut health, prepackaged versions on supermarket shelves often contain chemicals linked to cancer.
This, according to renowned nutrition scientist Professor Tim Spector, founder of popular diet app Zoe, who posted the warning on Instagram.
Prof. Spector said that many supermarket breads are labeled as "sourdough" to "trick" us into thinking they are healthy.
Some products also use terms like “more fiber,” he added. However, these claims are nothing more than a “health halo.”
In fact, these breads contain “several chemicals, including commercial yeast, flavorings, and emulsifiers to mimic the taste of real sourdough in much less time.”
Emulsifiers, used to give food thickness, are found in a wide range of popular products — from cakes to children's yogurts.
However, experts have suggested that emulsifiers can "break" the barrier between the fat and water layers in the gut, creating gaps in the protective intestinal lining.
It is thought that this increases the risk of bacterial infections in the gut, some of which are known to cause the development of colon cancer.
Microbiome expert Dr. Alasdair Scott recently told The Mail on Sunday:
"We think this process may be linked to colon cancer. Studies in animals confirm this, but not yet in humans – in humans it is much more difficult to prove why exactly a tumor has formed."
What is the healthiest choice?
According to Prof. Spector, a healthier choice for bread would be fresh sourdough, rye bread, or spelt bread, purchased at a bakery.
“When I'm at home and have time, I like to make my own sourdough, usually whole-grain rye,” said Prof. Spector.
"When I have to go out and buy bread, I look at the fiber to sugar ratio. I would choose a bread with a lot of fiber, a little sugar, and, if possible, I would look for sourdough bread. It's better to go to a bakery. I like to choose ones made with rye or spelt flour because they are much richer in fiber."
Adequate fiber intake is essential for protecting against a variety of digestive diseases, including colon cancer.
Health experts recommend consuming around 30 grams of fibre a day — found in whole grains, fruit, vegetables, seeds and legumes — but the average Briton only gets around 18 grams.
Prof. Spector added that traditional sourdough may even help relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), compared to industrially produced bread.
This is because the methods used to make sourdough break down some of the gluten in the flour, making it easier to digest and causing fewer problems in your intestines.
Research has also shown that, compared to whole wheat bread, rye, a type of sourdough, seems to keep you fuller for longer.
Last year, a nutritionist told MailOnline that shoppers should look for the word "sprouted" when buying their bread.
Sprouted bread is a type of bread made from milled whole wheat grains that have been left in a moist environment to germinate until sprouts emerge.
This process makes whole grain bread even more nutritious, as sprouting the grains increases the body's ability to absorb nutrients.
This means that sprouted wheat is slightly richer in some vitamins and minerals than other whole wheat breads.
Sprouted wheat bread is also sometimes described as whole grain bread, as is any bread made from grains such as barley, oats, spelt, and wheat.
Meanwhile, white bread is made from wheat flour that goes through a milling process to remove most of the plant's core, eliminating most of the vital nutrients like fiber and B vitamins. /Express newspaper/
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