Difference Between Brown Bread and White Bread

Brown Bread vs White Bread
With an increasing consciousness about health and hygiene, a large number of consumers are making the switch from white bread to brown bread or whole wheat bread at their breakfast tables. However, there is little awareness about why is brown bread considered healthy or what constitutes brown bread that makes it healthy. As a result, most people succumb to marketing tactics of companies that add caramel to white bread to make the color brown and advertise it as wholesome and tasty!

To understand more about the differences between brown bread and white bread, let us take a look at what constitutes a grain of wheat. All grains of wheat can be divided into three parts ‘“ the bran which is the husk on the outside constitutes 15% of the grain and is high in fiber and vitamins and minerals like B1, B2, B3, B6, magnesium, iron, zinc and phosphorous; the core is made up of the endosperm which is more than 80% of the grain and consists of proteins and carbohydrates; the rest of the wheat grain is made up of the germ and it also contains a good amount of vitamins, minerals, fat and protein.

White bread is made up of only the endosperm part of the bread. The fiber rich, nutritious part of the wheat grain like bran and germ are removed from it. On the other hand, brown bread or whole wheat bread includes all parts of the grain ‘“ the bran, endosperm and the germ ‘“ thus making it more nutritious and healthy than the white bread.

The brown bread is considered to go through less processing than the white bread. For white bread, after the bran and germ parts are removed, potassium bromide, chlorine dioxide gas or benzyl peroxide is used to bleach the flour. Also, some countries specify manufacturers to fortify the white bread with the minerals and other nutrients that the white bread has been deprived off due to processing. Hence, white bread is known to be made from ‘enriched flour’ whereas brown bread is made up of ‘whole wheat flour’.

Brown bread varies from white bread in texture as well. White bread is preferred because it is softer than brown bread. This is because in the brown bread, the bran part of the wheat grain pops the bubbles created while baking. Airy and fluffy breads like white breads come out soft. Also, white bread is sometimes infused with milk and sugar to make it tastier and soft.

Summary:
1.Brown bread is made up of the entire wheat grain which is high in vitamins, minerals and proteins whereas white bread is made up of only the endosperm which is rich in proteins and carbohydrates. Hence, brown bread is considered healthier than white bread.
2.As part of the manufacturing process, white bread is bleached with chemicals and fortified with vitamins and minerals through an artificial process unlike brown bread.
3.In terms of taste and texture, white bread is softer and tastier than brown bread

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