Page 35 - Baking Europe Journal - Winter 2022

INGREDIENTS
GLUTEN SENSITIVITY AND SOURDOUGH 35

the gastrointestinal tract and taken targeting of transglutaminase 2 is
into the bloodstream as sugar, what makes coeliac disease an
resistant starches act more like fibre autoimmune response and
and promote colonic health. differentiates it from classical food
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Similarly, true fibre found in the flour allergies. 14
is also affected by fermentation; the
production of microbial enzymes has Presently, there is no known cure for
been shown to increase fibre coeliac disease beyond lifelong
solubility and the production of adherence to a gluten-free diet,
beneficial prebiotics to promote though novel therapies have been
gastrointestinal health. investigated in clinical trials. The
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therapeutic agent Latiglutenase is an
Another function of enzymes enzyme that is administered orally
produced by sourdough starter and counteracts the inflammatory
cultures is protein degradation; effects of gluten by degrading gluten
sourdough fermentation has been peptides in the stomach upon
shown to increase the amount of free ingestion, rendering them
due to processes in their production amino acids in bread and improve unrecognisable by the immune
which kill microorganisms such as protein digestibility. system. The success of Latiglutenase
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baking, ageing or storage. Sourdough in early-stage clinical trials suggests
is one such food: though the dough Is sourdough safe for gluten- that enzymatic degradation may be a
used to create a loaf of sourdough sensitive people? strategy to “detoxify” gluten. As
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bread is often rich in beneficial lactic The overall health benefits of previously mentioned, protein
acid bacteria, these organisms cannot sourdough fermentation and degradation is also a function of
withstand the high heat of baking. As particularly the influence of sourdough starter cultures over the
a result, the health benefits sourdough fermentation on protein course of fermentation. This, along
associated with sourdough bread are digestibility, has led many to wonder with the general perception of
derived not from probiotics, but from whether sourdough breads are safe sourdough bread as being beneficial
the actions of the starter culture over for individuals with coeliac disease or to gut health has spurred curiosity as
the course of fermentation. other non-coeliac gluten sensitivities. to whether sourdough fermented
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune breads might be safe for individuals
Starter culture microorganisms have condition characterised by adverse with coeliac disease or non-celiac
been shown to improve mineral responses to gluten. For individuals gluten sensitivities. 4
bioavailability in sourdough bread in with coeliac disease, gluten
comparison to conventional yeast- consumption results in inflammation Case studies have suggested that
fermented bread through the and the formation of lesions in the traditional sourdough fermentation
production of organic acids and gastrointestinal tract and reduced can improve gastrointestinal
enzyme phytase, which promote the ability to absorb essential nutrients tolerance to bread in comparison to
degradation of anti-nutritional from the diet. 14 conventional yeast fermentation, but
phytates found naturally in flour. only for individuals with non-coeliac
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The effects of the starter culture are Coeliac disease pathogenesis gluten sensitivity. The prevailing
observed again with the lower comprises a complex inflammatory hypothesis is that it is not gluten to
glycemic index, or rate at which milieu wherein partially undigested which such individuals are sensitive,
glucose is released into the gluten proteins are targeted by the but rather, poorly-absorbed short-
bloodstream, from sourdough immune system as foreign invaders chain carbohydrates, also known as
breads. upon intestinal absorption. In FODMAPs (short for fermentable
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attempts to repair the tissue damaged oligosaccharides, disaccharides,
Over the course of fermentation, the by this initial immune response, the monosaccharides and polyols).
increased acidity of sourdough is body secretes an enzyme called Sourdough fermentation has been
associated with the formation of transglutaminase 2, which then also shown to decrease the presence of
resistant starch. 9,10 Instead of being becomes flagged as a foreign invader FODMAPs in bread by 69-75% and
broken down by digestive enzymes in alongside gluten proteins. The body’s reduce symptoms of irritable bowel

BAKINGEUROPE Winter 2022/2023
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