{"id":1222,"date":"2025-04-02T04:48:13","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T04:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1222\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T04:48:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T04:48:13","slug":"expert-reveals-the-secrets-of-fake-food-from-brown-bread-and-sourfaux-to-honey-is-your-food-actually-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1222\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert reveals the secrets of fake food: From brown bread and ‘sourfaux’ to honey – is YOUR food actually healthy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s reputed to improve gut health, be easier to digest and be better for the waistline, which is why so many are prepared to pay more than \u00a34 for a sourdough loaf. But could that costly bread be a con?<\/p>\n

Dubbing it \u2018sourfaux\u2019 or \u2018pseudough\u2019, the team behind the Real Bread Campaign claim that supermarkets and commercial bakeries are cashing in on the bread\u2019s popularity by producing inferior loaves that lack these supposed health benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here, with the help of Darshna Yagnik, a senior lecturer in immunology at Middlesex University, we explain how to tell if your loaf is the real deal \u2013 and other faux health foods, from honey to kimchi, to watch out for.<\/p>\n

SOURDOUGH<\/p>\n

The slow fermentation process \u2013 five to seven days \u2013 required to make sourdough is key to producing its health benefits. This involves a live sourdough starter culture, a mixture of flour and water that\u2019s slowly fermented at room temperature and regularly fed. The process produces enzymes that naturally break down gluten in flour into smaller molecules, making the bread easier to digest.<\/p>\n

Fermentation also produces vitamin B12 and amino acids, molecules that combine to form protein, the building block of tissue and bone. Protein can also improve the body\u2019s ability to metabolise glucose.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Real <\/p>\n

Real sourdough bread can take up to a week to make<\/p>\n

But some supermarkets are speeding up the process, cutting fermentation to just 3.5 hours by adding yeast and additives \u2013 and losing some benefits.<\/p>\n

\u2018The longer you ferment, the more the beneficial bacteria increases,\u2019 explains Dr Yagnik.<\/p>\n

To tell if it\u2019s the real deal, \u2018look for air bubbles in the bread, the result of carbon dioxide released during long fermentation\u2019, she says \u2013 and check the ingredients. Proper sourdough contains only water, flour, salt and the sourdough starter. If it contains yeast or additives, it\u2019s sourfaux.<\/p>\n

MANUKA HONEY<\/p>\n

Its potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits make this popular for everything from warding off bugs to soothing burns.<\/p>\n

Made from the nectar of the native antipodean Manuka tree, it\u2019s rich in a natural compound methylglyoxal (MGO), which reduces the ability of bacteria to spread and grow.<\/p>\n

\"Manuka <\/p>\n

Manuka honey is highly prized for its\u00a0anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties<\/p>\n

\u2018The higher the MGO rating number on the pot, the higher the strength,\u2019 says Dr Yagnik. Studies have also shown that Manuka honey activates white blood cells to kill bacteria, helping clear wound infections, and has antioxidant properties (meaning it helps prevent cell damage).<\/p>\n

With some pots costing up to \u00a350, it\u2019s no wonder other makers have jumped on the Manuka bandwagon. \u2018The main risk is the product being diluted with cheaper honeys when packed by third parties overseas,\u2019 says Dr Yagnik.<\/p>\n

All honey contains MGO but non-Manuka varieties have considerably less, so health benefits will also be fewer.<\/p>\n

Look for pots that say they\u2019ve been packed in New Zealand and carry a gold \u2018Tested Certified Manuka\u2019 symbol, advises Dr Yagnik. For Australian Manuka honey look for AMHA (Australian Manuka Honey Association) labelling.<\/a> In addition, pure Manuka honey will have been made from the nectar of a single flower \u2013 if labelled \u2018multifloral\u2019, it\u2019s not pure.<\/p>\n

KOMBUCHA<\/p>\n

Said to help boost immunity and maintain a healthy digestive system, this vinegary fermented health drink is traditionally made from tea, sugar and a culture called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast).<\/p>\n

These ingredients are left for ten to 20 days to ferment, producing probiotics (the gut microbes that play a vital role in digestion and our immune system). The live product needs to be stored in the fridge to prevent carbonisation \u2013 where the live probiotic cultures continue to feed on the sugar and produce carbon dioxide, and \u2018ultimately decreasing in numbers when the \u201cfood\u201d runs out\u2019, says Dr Yagnik. As well as reducing the benefits, it makes it vinegary.<\/p>\n

\"Kombucha <\/p>\n

Kombucha tea is said to boost immunity and keep your gut healthy<\/p>\n

However, some manufacturers pasteurise their products to make them easy to store at room temperature \u2013 this involves heating the kombucha \u2018to kill bacteria that could spoil the product\u2019, says Dr Yagnik.<\/p>\n

But this also \u2018inevitably kills vast amounts of healthy, friendly bacteria too, cancelling out their health benefits\u2019.<\/p>\n

To get the real deal, make sure it\u2019s in the chilled section and check the label: it shouldn\u2019t have a long shelf life (it typically lasts five to eight months, compared to many more months with some soft drinks). It should also say it\u2019s \u2018raw\u2019 and \u2018unpasteurised\u2019.<\/p>\n

BROWN BREAD<\/p>\n

This is one of the cheekiest \u2018fakes\u2019. We\u2019ve been told that brown bread is healthier than white \u2013 but while this is true of wholemeal bread, you should pay attention to what you\u2019re really getting if you pick up a loaf of \u2018brown\u2019 bread, warns Dr Yagnik.<\/p>\n

Wholemeal bread \u2013 made with the whole wheat kernel \u2013 contains important insoluble fibre (good for bowel movements) plus B-vitamins, proteins, minerals and antioxidants which help boost our immune system.<\/p>\n

\"Wholemeal <\/p>\n

Wholemeal bread is healthy – but not all ‘brown bread’ is as good<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the flour used to make white bread is more refined and lacks essential B vitamins, iron and roughage.<\/p>\n

However, some loaves made this way are marketed as \u2018brown\u2019 \u2013 after manufacturers add a caramel colouring and top up B vitamins, she explains.<\/p>\n

\u2018Although you might assume they\u2019ve been made with wholewheat flour, they are actually made with refined white flour (commonly listed as simply wheat flour),\u2019 says Dr Yagnik. Check the label to ensure it says wholewheat or wholemeal. If it simply says \u2018brown\u2019 make sure wholemeal is the first ingredient on the list.<\/p>\n

KIMCHI\/SAUERKRAUT<\/p>\n

Kimchi and sauerkraut are both types of pickled cabbage, popular because they\u2019re a good source of probiotics.<\/p>\n

But while some brands or recipes potentially offer billions of good bugs in every serving, others may provide barely any. So how can you tell the difference?<\/p>\n

\u2018When prepared, both sauerkraut [generally just cabbage and salt] and kimchi [often also including carrots, radishes, garlic and chilli] are packed tightly into a jar and left for weeks \u2013 even months \u2013 to ferment,\u2019 says Dr Yagnik.<\/p>\n

\"Kimchi <\/p>\n

Kimchi is a type of picked cabbage, but look for versions in the chilled section of the supermarket which have ‘live’ on the label<\/p>\n

This fermentation process creates carbon dioxide as the vegetables break down \u2013 which in turn helps to produce those powerful probiotics.<\/p>\n

However the carbon dioxide produced can, once again, mean shelf life is an issue \u2013 so some manufacturers may choose to pasteurise the product, says Dr Yagnik.<\/p>\n

\u2018With pasteurisation you will still get the fibre benefit \u2013 both typically containing around 2g of fibre per serving \u2013 but the process kills off both good and bad bacteria, leaving substantially fewer,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n

Anything canned will also have lost probiotic benefits \u2013 high temperatures used in canning kill all microorganisms and their spores which could spoil the product.<\/p>\n

\u2018For proper raw sauerkraut or kimchi, look for products kept in the chilled section that say \u201clive\u201d on the label.\u2019<\/p>\n

If the label says it contains vinegar or preservatives this also means it won\u2019t be live as these change the pH balance, killing the probiotics, adds Dr Yagnik.<\/p>\n

If it bubbles slightly when opened, this also shows bacteria are live and fermenting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s reputed to improve gut health, be easier to digest and be better for the waistline, which is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1223,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[92,105,704,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-1222","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114266565089830719","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}