The demand for whole-wheat, whole-grain and multi-grain bread is on the rise, and sales of white bread continue to decline, due to the growing awareness of health concerns, reports the Daily Mail.
In a single year, white bread sales have fallen by a percentage point across the U.K. During the same period, demand for brown bread has grown by six percent and demand for seeded bread by nine percent.
Studies have shown that whole-wheat bread has considerable health benefits. A ten-year study by Harvard University found that those who ate high-fiber bread were less likely to suffer from heart attack or stroke. A separate study by the University of Washington found that switching to whole-wheat can lower the risk of heart disease by up to 20 percent.
Whole-grain bread, as the name implies, uses all three parts of the wheat grain, and is naturally much higher in fiber, zinc, vitamins B6 and E, magnesium, folic acid and chromium.