{"id":727830,"date":"2026-01-29T04:51:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T04:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/727830\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T04:51:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T04:51:17","slug":"what-breads-really-doing-to-your-body-rosamund-dean-gave-it-up-for-a-month-and-tested-her-health-before-and-after-from-blood-pressure-to-cholesterol-and-her-weight-the-results-are-truly-shocking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/727830\/","title":{"rendered":"What bread’s really doing to your body: ROSAMUND DEAN gave it up for a month and tested her health before and after. From blood pressure, to cholesterol and her weight, the results are truly shocking…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eating brunch with my husband and two children, I watch with envy as they bite into delicious chunks of buttery bread with their eggs.\u00a0A lifelong bread-lover, I\u2019ve gone cold turkey this month, and Sunday brunch is the most challenging time of the week.<\/p>\n

For anyone who\u2019s also coming to the end of an abstemious January, I have\u00a0to say that, having tried alcohol-free, sugar-free and social media-free for previous Januarys, bread has proved by far the most difficult thing to give up.<\/p>\n

Why \u2013 apart from the fact that it\u2019s health-kick month \u2013 am I doing this, you might ask? Let me start by saying that I do not want to demonise bread. It has sustained humanity for thousands of years.<\/p>\n

But our ancestors wouldn\u2019t recognise much of the bread or, indeed, much of the food we eat today.<\/p>\n

In case you\u2019ve just teleported in from the Stone Age, the definition of an ultra-processed food (UPF) is something made with industrial ingredients you wouldn\u2019t find in a kitchen, such as emulsifiers, preservatives, stabilisers and artificial sweeteners.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re cheap, moreish and inevitably we gobble them up. At least we did. Until the super-popular doctor and broadcaster Chris van Tulleken published his book Ultra-Processed People and used compelling science to make us realise that many everyday foods are actually designed to make us eat more and feel worse.<\/p>\n

UPFs have been linked with many modern issues including anxiety and insomnia, but also a higher risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses and some cancers.<\/p>\n

When it comes to cancer, I have skin in the game.<\/p>\n

When I was 40, and my children were just six and three, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. It was a huge shock and treatment was brutal but, after months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and mastectomy surgery, five years on, I am now cancer-free.<\/p>\n

My determination to avoid a recurrence means I will try anything to reduce my risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"As <\/p>\n

As a freelance journalist who works from home, my toaster is right next to the kettle, and an 11am cuppa is often accompanied by buttery toast, writes Rosamund Dean\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"An <\/p>\n

An astonishing 99.8 per cent of British households regularly buy bread, with nearly 11 million loaves sold each day<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve mostly given up alcohol and force myself to exercise regularly, but I was interested to read a new meta-analysis of 17 observational studies in the National Library of Medicine, showing a significant association between the consumption of UPFs and an increased risk of breast cancer, with high intake linked to a 25 per cent greater risk.<\/p>\n

Some UPFs are obvious; nobody thinks a bag of Haribo is a healthy option. But some look very close to real food. And the most commonly eaten ultra-processed food in the UK? Bread.<\/p>\n

An astonishing 99.8 per cent of British households regularly buy bread, with nearly 11 million loaves sold each day. White bread accounts for 71 per cent of total bread consumption, with Warburtons white sliced by far the most popular.<\/p>\n

Anyone who has been through cancer treatment knows there are nights when you lie awake running through everything you have ever done (from binge drinking in my 20s to the odd social cigarette), wondering if it might have contributed to your diagnosis. Could changing this one thing make all the difference to my health?<\/p>\n

Rather than relying simply on how I look or feel, I test some metrics. First, I have a metabolic health blood test, which checks cholesterol, blood sugar levels and inflammation in the body.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My results show raised cholesterol, particularly the \u2018bad\u2019 type of LDL cholesterol which, at 3.2mmol\/L is only just above the normal range, but higher than you\u2019d expect for a healthy 45-year-old. (Excess LDL cholesterol can form plaque and stiffen arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.)<\/p>\n

Next, I wear a Hilo band \u2013 one of those trendy wearable gadgets that use optical sensors to monitor my blood pressure \u2013 throughout the month on my wrist.<\/p>\n

And finally, I step on a good old-fashioned set of scales. Weight loss is not my priority, since I generally hover around 9\u00bd st at 5 ft 6 in.<\/p>\n

Having not weighed myself in a while, I\u2019m surprised to see the number is actually closer to 10 st, which brings me to my diet. I don\u2019t have much of a sweet tooth, and can resist cakes and biscuits, but savoury snacks are my downfall.<\/p>\n

As a freelance journalist who works from home, my toaster is right next to the kettle, and an 11am cuppa is often accompanied by buttery toast.<\/p>\n

In fact, once I cut out bread, it\u2019s alarming to notice just how toast-based my diet is. Beans on toast is a quick, easy work-from-home lunch, and I\u2019ll often eat cheese on toast with the kids after school (albeit with lots of chopped up veg, too).<\/p>\n

\"Bread <\/p>\n

Bread also hides in non-obvious places, Rosamund finds, such as breadcrumbs in a burger<\/p>\n

For my experiment, I\u2019m avoiding anything bread-adjacent such as breadsticks, cakes or pastries. But bread also hides in non-obvious places.<\/p>\n

For instance, my smugness at rejecting the brioche bun with my veggie burger is tempered by the realisation that the burger itself contains breadcrumbs.<\/p>\n

And I have the odd slip-up, such as when my husband makes black bean quesadillas for dinner. Just as I\u2019m biting into the cheesy tortilla pocket, my eight-year-old daughter asks: \u2018Aren\u2019t these wraps kinda like . . . bread?\u2019<\/p>\n

Erm, yes, I suppose they are. I have the rest of the filling in a bowl with a fork, which is actually delicious.<\/p>\n

One of my biggest struggles, besides brunch, is soup. It\u2019s a go-to winter lunch, but soup without bread is like Ant without Dec. It feels like something is missing.<\/p>\n

I ask Dr Federica Amati, head nutritionist at personalised nutrition app Zoe, for some tips.<\/p>\n

\u2018The key is to prioritise fibre, protein and whole foods to keep you energised through the afternoon,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2018Good options include grain or lentil-based salads with plenty of vegetables, soups containing beans or pulses, veggie-packed omelettes or frittatas, and wraps using leafy greens instead of bread. You can also build a \u201cdeconstructed sandwich\u201d with vegetables, a protein source, healthy fats, and bold flavours \u2013 just without bread.\u2019<\/p>\n

Hmm . . . I\u2019m not sure I fancy a wrap using leafy greens, or a sandwich without bread, but I do love a frittata, and the advice to amp up soups with beans is helpful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I also start adding toppings such as toasted seeds, to give my soup some bite. Dr Amati insists there\u2019s no need to fear bread; it\u2019s about making smarter choices.<\/p>\n

\u2018Some supermarket loaves are highly refined and contain added sugars, emulsifiers, or ultra-processed ingredients,\u2019 she says. \u2018But others are genuinely wholegrain, meaning the grain is intact, and provide fibre to support gut health and blood sugar control.\u2019<\/p>\n

Seeded bread is, she says, \u2018a bonus, but only if the bread is wholegrain at its base. A white loaf with a few seeds doesn\u2019t deliver the same benefits as true wholegrain or rye bread.\u2019 Sourdough is another example where a \u2018health halo\u2019 doesn\u2019t necessarily translate into benefits.<\/p>\n

\u2018Traditional sourdough is made using a long, slow fermentation, which supports gut health,\u2019 she says. \u2018However, many supermarket \u201csourdough\u201d loaves take shortcuts, using additives to mimic sourdough taste. Look for simple ingredients and minimal additives.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Dietician <\/p>\n

Dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine is the author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed<\/p>\n

\"For <\/p>\n

For most people, simply switching from white to wholegrain bread will improve their fibre intake, bringing real benefits.<\/p>\n

At the end of my bread-free month, I reassess my metrics. I\u2019m back to my fighting weight, having lost 5 lb. My blood pressure was already in the \u2018normal\u2019 range, but it\u2019s now \u2018optimal\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most impressively, my LDL cholesterol has dropped from 3.2 to 2.5mmol\/L (a healthy range is under 3.0).<\/p>\n

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, registered dietitian and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed, says there are a number of factors at play with my bread-free month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For a start, I\u2019m eating less cheese and butter, which may have had a greater impact on my cholesterol than the bread itself.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s not that bread is a \u201cbad\u201d food,\u2019 she explains. \u2018It\u2019s about the volume, what we have with it, and why we\u2019re eating it.\u2019<\/p>\n

She describes three different types of hunger: head, heart and stomach. When I see the toaster and think \u2018ooh, toast\u2019, that\u2019s head hunger. When a comforting bread-based snack powers me through a stressful day, that\u2019s heart hunger. It\u2019s actually pretty rare that I feel true stomach hunger, since I\u2019m generally so full of bread.<\/p>\n

\u2018It becomes a problem if it\u2019s displacing whole foods in your diet,\u2019 she says. \u2018Your microbiome needs lots of different, colourful vegetables, enough fibre, and fermented foods. It\u2019s hard to get enough of those things if you\u2019ve got a diet high in HFSS (high fat, salt and sugar) ultra-processed foods.\u2019<\/p>\n

She explains that most additives in the UK are safe for consumption in reasonable amounts and, without preservatives, we would have a food crisis with spoiled goods and empty shelves.<\/p>\n

So I certainly don\u2019t want to be alarmist about all bread, or even about all UPFs. Wholegrain cereals such as Weetabix can be healthy, despite being ultra-processed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And Ludlam-Raine tells me about a study calling for wholegrain ultra-processed foods to be removed from the UPF classification because of their health benefits.<\/p>\n

For most people, simply switching from white to wholegrain bread will improve their fibre intake, bringing real benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But in the UK, white bread is cheap and accessible. It\u2019s also fortified (with iron, calcium, B vitamins and folic acid starting this year), so consuming it in reasonable amounts isn\u2019t a disaster.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, Jason\u2019s Sourdough (a proper sourdough, rather than a supermarket \u2018sourfaux\u2019) has now overtaken Kingsmill as the third biggest bread brand in the UK by sales, behind Warburtons and Hovis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also, Warburtons recently launched a\u00a0Fibre Fix range with added seeds and grains, reflecting a consumer trend toward healthier bread options.<\/p>\n

For me, the biggest change after my month off bread is how I feel. I\u2019ve got more energy, and I\u2019m less inclined to reach for a carby snack at 3pm.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve eaten plenty of oats and potatoes while avoiding bread, but these wholefood carbs are naturally denser, more filling and harder to over-consume than bread.<\/p>\n

As a result, I feel more in tune with my hunger cues. When it comes to that 11am slice of toast, I\u2019ve realised that not having bread doesn\u2019t mean I scour the kitchen for an alternative snack \u2013 suggesting I\u2019m not actually hungry, I just fancy a slice of toast.<\/p>\n

To reduce my risk of getting cancer again, cutting down on ultra-processed foods is one part of the strategy, along with eating more veg, reducing alcohol and staying active.<\/p>\n

Previously, I may have chosen bread over more nutrient-dense options. I now snack on walnuts, and eat more fibre-rich beans and root vegetables, which support gut bacteria, leading to better overall health.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m relieved to learn that giving up bread completely does not have to be part of my anti-cancer lifestyle. A wholegrain loaf can be a really healthy part of a balanced diet.<\/p>\n

In fact, I sometimes make my own soda bread from my mum\u2019s recipe: it\u2019s just flour, yoghurt and bicarbonate of soda. If you like dense bread, it\u2019s quick and easy, and fills your kitchen with the beautiful smell of a freshly baked loaf.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m definitely going to bake more often because, although I could manage a month, I\u2019m never going to be bread-free long-term. Not only does it make brunch a misery, but there are also so many healthy options \u2013 even on days when I don\u2019t have time to make my own.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019m going to keep enjoying my seeded loaf with scrambled eggs every Sunday, but give up the mindless hits of buttered toast at 11am on a random Tuesday. As with most things in life, quality and quantity are key, and I\u2019ll be paying more attention to both.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eating brunch with my husband and two children, I watch with envy as they bite into delicious chunks…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":727831,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[92,105,388,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-727830","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-lifestyle","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115976594176815107","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727830","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=727830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/727831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=727830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=727830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=727830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}