Just like kimchi, yogurt, and kombucha, sourdough is a traditional fermented food that’s been around for over 6,000 years. A long and slow fermentation with sourdough culture – we’re talking 24-72 hours – degrades gluten proteins, breaks down complex starches (goodbye FODMAPs), makes grains easy to digest, and supports a healthy gut microbiome. 

Sourdough fermentation is an essential process that enables our bodies to access the full nutritional value of whole grains. All grains contain a naturally occurring chemical called phytic acid, which binds to vitamins and minerals and prevents nutrient absorption. The microbes in sourdough culture break down phytic acid and significantly increase the bioavailability of B vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Prebiotic fiber is naturally occurring in whole grains, and sourdough fermentation produces more of it! Prebiotics are a type of indigestible fiber that are an important food source for beneficial gut bacteria and help promote a healthy and diverse microbiome. In particular, lactic acid bacteria produce Beta Glucans, a well-known insoluble fiber with prebiotic properties associated with a myriad of health benefits.

Sourdough fermentation creates lactic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant with numerous health benefits – and lactic acid increases the bioavailability of polyphenols, like phenolic acids and flavonoids, which are naturally occurring antioxidants found in whole grains.

Sourdough is low FODMAP! (FODMAPs are fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols, aka short chain carbohydrates that resist digestion by the enzymes in our gut.) Unfermented wheat, rye, spelt, and einkorn all contain high levels of fructans, a specific type of FODMAP. But, a long and slow fermentation process removes fructans and transforms these grains into a low FODMAP food.

Some experts believe that it’s the fructans in wheat, not the gluten, causing digestive issues for the majority of people with gluten sensitivity/intolerance. This explains why people who have a hard time digesting unfermented grains (who doesn’t?) are able to easily digest fermented wheat, spelt, rye, einkorn, etc.

During fermentation, beneficial bacteria break down gluten proteins into simple amino acids that our bodies can easily absorb, making sourdough low in gluten. This is why people with gluten-sensitivity or gluten intolerance find that they do well with slow fermented wheat.