Bread Resources

White Bread & Buns

Also known as Enriched Grains

• Since 1998 enriched grains, such as white bread and buns, have been fortified with folic acid and other nutrients, such as B vitamins and iron, and may contain more of these nutrients than whole grain foods that haven’t been fortified. ^7,26,27
• To get the most nutrients and benefits, you should include both whole grains and enriched grains as part of your balanced diet.
• Enriched grains are the primary source of folic acid in the American diet. ³
• The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends 6 servings of grain foods daily. Three servings should be whole grain foods; the other 3 servings can be either whole grain or enriched. ¹²

Did you know?

For many generations, eating white bread was considered a sign of status, and peasants ate wheat bread. Around 150 B.C., upper-class Romans insisted on the more exclusive and expensive white breads, while darker whole wheat and bran breads were for the general public. This persisted well into the 20^th century in Europe and North America. ⁴⁶

B Vitamins

• Most white breads and buns are enriched with B vitamins, including thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and niacin (vitamin B3).^1,3
• These B vitamins play an important role in metabolism by helping your body produce and release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates.^{1,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,37}
• These B vitamins help your nervous system function properly, ^{1,3,29,31,32,33,35} and are involved in producing red blood cells that carry oxygen all over the body. ^30,31,35,36
• B vitamins are necessary for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. ^32,35,41
• The body does not store B vitamins, so they need to be replenished daily. ^{31,32,33,36,38}

Folic Acid

• Folic acid is also known as vitamin B9. ^27,29,41
• Sometimes the terms “folic acid” and “folate” are used interchangeably; however, folate is a naturally occurring vitamin found in foods like dark leafy greens, citrus fruits and liver. ^35,41
• On the other hand, folic acid is a man-made form of the vitamin that is used to fortify enriched grain foods like bread. ⁴¹
• Folic acid is easier for the body to absorb and use than folate. ⁴¹
• Folic acid is necessary to make new cells in your body, especially red blood cells, ^1,29,35,41 and it plays a key role in making and maintaining your DNA, which are the building blocks of our genetic blueprint. ^27,29,35,41

Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defects

• Healthful diets with adequate folic acid may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord.
• The FDA recommends an intake of 400mcg of folic acid daily.
• Since 1998, when the FDA first required that grain-based foods, cereals, and dietary supplements be enriched with folic acid, neural tube birth defects have dropped by 20-30 percent. ²⁷

Did you know?

Most whole grain foods are not fortified with folic acid or other vitamins and minerals – just one more reason to enjoy enriched grain products. ¹¹

Iron

• The 2 types of iron that you get from food are heme and non-heme. ⁴³
• Both whole and enriched grain foods are sources of non-heme iron in the American diet. ^1,3,43
• One of iron’s major functions is to carry oxygen in the blood. ^1,43

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