One concern that we often hear from people who have been newly diagnosed with coeliac disease is, ‘Will a gluten free diet give me all the nutrients my body needs?’

It’s a reasonable question when you consider how big a role wheat plays in the average diet. Our customers are naturally concerned that things like gluten free bread will not give them the same fibre, vitamins and minerals as a standard loaf.

Here at Glutafin, we understand these concerns. That’s why we fortify many of our breads, including our fresh loaves, with added fibre, calcium and folic acid, to help contribute towards a healthy, balanced diet. Let’s take a look at what we add and how it helps to support your health and wellbeing.

Glutafin Gluten Free Fresh Bread Has Added Fibre

Just one slice of our fresh gluten free white bread or brown bread contains 3.4g of fibre, and that rises to 4.4g if you choose our fresh gluten free seeded bread. According to UK Government guidelines, the recommended intake for UK adults is 30g, so just a couple of slices of toast at breakfast, or a sandwich at lunch gives you around a quarter of the fibre you need. Other great gluten free sources of fibre include fruits and vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds, alongside naturally gluten free wholegrains such as buckwheat, quinoa and millet.

Why Do We Need Fibre?

Fibre is an essential nutrient for maintaining overall health, including:

1. Keeping your bowels regular – fibre keeps your digestion moving and avoids constipation
2. Supporting your gut – fibre feeds the ‘good bacteria’ in your gut, helping to keep your gut lining healthy.
3. Controlling blood sugar – fibre slows digestion and helps your gut absorb carbohydrates slower to avoid peaks in blood sugar
4. Managing cholesterol – fibre can reduce cholesterol absorption in the gut and help remove cholesterol from the body, helping to lower blood LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol levels.
5. Filling you up – fibre helps keep you fuller for longer, helping you to regulate your food intake and avoid overeating
6. Keeping your heart healthy – high fibre diets have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease

Glutafin Gluten Free Fresh Bread Has Added Calcium

One slice of our fresh gluten free white bread contains 15% of your daily calcium requirement (so a single sandwich gives you around a third of the calcium your body needs). Other great gluten free sources of calcium include dairy foods, fortified dairy alternatives, green leafy veg, dried fruit, nuts, fortified gluten free breakfast cereals and fish eaten with bones (e.g sardines and pilchards).

Why Do We Need Calcium?

Calcium has many important roles within the body, including:

1. Building bones and teeth – calcium gives your bones and teeth strength and is especially important for children and teens as they grow
2. Making muscles work – calcium plays an important role in the contraction and relaxation of your muscles, including the muscles of your heart
3. Sending nerve signals – your nerves use calcium to communicate with each other and with your brain
4. Helping blood to clot – calcium is part of the clotting process that stops you bleeding when you hurt yourself

Glutafin Gluten Free Bread Has Added Folic Acid

Folic acid is also known as folate. Each slice of our gluten free fresh brown bread contains 11% of the folic acid your body needs each day. If you’re pregnant, you need twice as much folic acid to support your body, and your baby, up to the 12th week of pregnancy. Other great gluten free sources of folic acid include fruit and vegetables, beans, pulses and fortified gluten free breakfast cereals.

Why Do We Need Folic Acid?

Folic acid is needed to make and maintain the 30trillion cells that make up your body. It’s used for:

1. Making new cells – not only for growth, but also to replace old cells. Your cells are being constantly replaced, as little as every few days for the lining of your gut
2. Making red blood cells – lack of folic acid (or folate) can lead to anaemia and fatigue
3. Supporting cell growth – folic acid (folate) plays a key role in the repair and maintenance of your whole body
4. Maintaining brain functions – folic acid (folate) is needed for both your brain and your nerves to function properly

Healthy Ingredients, Delicious Taste

The great thing about Glutafin gluten free bread is that coeliacs can enjoy all these healthy benefits without sacrificing any of the flavour or texture of regular bread. But don’t take our word for it; order your free Glutafin taster box today and sample our delicious, nutritious fresh gluten free bread for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Glutafin gluten free bread healthy?

A. Yes. Glutafin gluten free bread is fortified with vitamins, minerals and fibre, allowing it  to make a good contribution towards a healthy gluten free diet.

Q. Does gluten free bread have dietary fibre?

A. In most cases, yes. Gluten free bread lacks the natural fibre from wheat, so fibre is added during production to bring it up to the same level as standard bread. For extra fibre, choose seeded loaves.

Q. Does a gluten free diet lack essential nutrients?

A. A gluten free diet may lack nutrients such as fibre, iron, calcium and vitamins, so it is important to monitor your intake to ensure you are getting the nutrition you need. Glutafin’s fortified fresh gluten free bread is a good source of many key nutrients.

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