Chatonidi Georgia, Rosseel Riet, Dalile Boushra, Satriawan Dina, Vandermeulen Greet, Van Holm Bram, Comer Luke, Maes Piet, Everaert Nadia, Courtin Christophe M, Verbeke Kristin
Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, ON1 box 701, Herestraat 49, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
Brain Research on Affective Mechanisms (BRAMLab), Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Research Unit Brain & Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Appetite. 2025 Aug 5;216:108256. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108256.
Bread is a major source of carbohydrates in Europe, and whole meal varieties may offer better metabolic responses and increased satiety than white bread. We compared the effects of three types of whole meal bread: whole meal yeast bread (WYB), whole meal sourdough bread (WSB), and whole meal sourdough and yeast bread (WSYB), on appetite regulation and metabolic outcomes in healthy subjects. The sourdough contained Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis and Maudiozyma humilis, and the process time depended on the leavening agent. In this double-blind, randomized crossover trial, 44 participants (25 ± 4 years, BMI: 22 ± 2 kg/m) consumed 180g/day of each bread type for two weeks, separated by a 2-week washout period. Habitual food intake was reported and a fecal sample was collected for microbiota analysis. During a study visit on the final day of each intervention period, participants consumed 100 g of the test bread for breakfast. Oral processing, gastric emptying, and postprandial glucose, C-peptide, appetite and hormonal responses were measured. The primary outcome was ad-libitum energy intake at the subsequent lunch. Ad-libitum energy intake at lunch did not differ after consumption of the test breads. WYB and WSYB were consumed more slowly than WSB and led to slightly higher satiety (p < 0.05). Compared to the other breads, WSYB led to higher C-peptide levels, WYB resulted in greater PYY responses, and both WSB and WYB stimulated higher GLP-1 release (p < 0.05). In contrast, gastric emptying, glucose responses, ad-libitum energy intake, habitual energy intake, cholesterol, or gut microbiota composition did not differ between breads (p > 0.05). Despite the small metabolic differences, our findings suggest that whole meal bread with baker's yeast and/or sourdough had similar effects on appetite regulation.
