Bread phytic acid content

Generally, vegetable food protein ingredients are more absorbant than other dough components, with the result that mixing time and loaf volume is decreased. In addition, pan bread crumb becomes coarser and occasionally darker in color. Negative effects on loaf volume appear to be inversely related to phytic acid content. 

In animal experiments it has been shown that a high calcium content in combination with the phytic acid in whole flour bread will decrease the zinc absorption (10), When adding milk and milk products to the whole flour bread in Dr. Sandstr0ms experiments the same positive effect was seen from the protein despite of the higher calcium content (Table III). 

In human studies done with leavened and unleavened whole grain bread (7, 19), the conclusions drawn were the same to those drawn for animal studies. The importance of phytic acid was later questioned by the same authors and decreased absorption was described to the fiber content in the diets (20). A negative... 

Controversy has been raging for many years as to whether, from the nutritional point of view, white or brown bread is better. Brown bread made from high extraction flour contains more protein, calcium, iron, B vitamins and fibre than white bread but its nutrients tend to be less well digested and absorbed. The case for white bread is based on its more attractive appearance, finer texture, better baking and keeping qualities and also its lower content of fibre and phytic acid which are responsible for the poorer utilization of nutrients. In Britain, where bread is only one of many articles of diet, nutritional differences between wholemeal and fortified white flours are of little practical significance. However, such differences could become important if bread ever became the single staple food. 

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