Wholemeal bread may protect the gut - study

Fibre from whole-grain foods may play a more important role in gut health than previously thought.

Details

The study found that fibre from whole wheat is processed by gut bacteria into substances with anti-inflammatory effects.

In particular, its digestion releases polyphenols - compounds that help to "re-tune" immune cells and reduce inflammation in the gut.

The mechanism is different from other types of fibre. While soluble fibre works through short-chain fatty acids, wheat fibre works through the release of associated bioactive substances.

The scientists also note that the effect was observed only in the presence of certain bacteria in the intestine capable of processing such fibre.

Separately, the researchers point out that modern diets contain less wheat fibre due to the popularity of refined foods such as white bread. This may be one of the reasons for the rise in inflammatory bowel disease.

However, the authors emphasise that the results were obtained in an experiment on mice and require confirmation in human studies.

Why it matters

Inflammatory bowel disease is becoming increasingly common, especially in developed countries.

The researchers recommend:

• choose wholemeal bread and pasta more often instead of white pasta
• increase total fibre intake
• add more fruit and vegetables to the diet
• reduce the proportion of refined foods as much as possible

Even small dietary changes can have a positive impact on gut health.

Background

Most people do not consume the recommended amount of fibre (25-38g per day). Meanwhile, deeply processed foods are often virtually devoid of dietary fibre.

Previous research has mainly focused on other types of fibre, so the role of wheat fibre has been less studied.

Source

The study was conducted on animal models and focuses on the effect of wheat fibre on intestinal inflammation. The results are published in Science Advances (2026) and Mucosal Immunology (2025).