Is Whole-grain Bread Healthy?

Whole-grain bread is a healthy food if the bread qualifies as a true whole-grain product, says the Harvard School of Public Health. True whole-grain bread contains fiber, minerals and vitamins that refined grain products lack. Eating foods that are rich in fiber may protect you against heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The complex carbohydrates in whole-grain bread provide a low-fat source of energy.

Labels and Packaging

The labels and packaging on bread can be misleading. If the first item in the bread's list of ingredients is whole wheat, whole rye, whole oats or another whole grain, the product is a true whole-grain bread, notes Harvard School of Public Health. The Whole Grains Council has created a Whole Grains Stamp to help you identify authentic whole-grain products. The stamp may not be on all whole-grain breads, so read the list of ingredients carefully. A bread whose packaging reads "Multigrain Bread," "Made with Wheat Flour" or "Made with Real Wheat" may not meet the qualifications for a whole-grain bread.

Recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that 45 to 65 percent of your daily caloric intake should come from carbohydrates -- mostly fiber-rich, complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains. The CDC recommends you eat 14g of fiber for every 1,000 calories you consume each day. If your diet allows 2,000 calories, your recommended fiber intake would be 28g per day.

Nutritional Contents

Unlike refined grains, whose bran and germ are removed during milling to improve their texture and prolong their shelf life, whole grains offer the nutritional content of the intact kernel. One slice of whole-wheat bread has 69 calories, 1g of fat, 4g of protein, 12g of carbohydrates and 2g of fiber. This slice of bread provides 0.6mg of manganese and 11mg of selenium, two essential minerals. Whole-grain bread also contributes to your recommended dietary allowance of iron, vitamin K and several of the B vitamins.

Health Benefits

Eating the recommended amount of fiber each day may promote a healthy digestive system, prevent obesity and protect you against Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Dietary fiber may also prevent gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcers, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids and constipation. Insoluble fiber, which you also get from whole-wheat bread, promotes regular bowel function by helping waste pass through your digestive system. Soluble fiber, which you get from whole-oat bread, slows your digestion of carbohydrates, which helps keep your blood sugar stable and reduces your risk of developing diabetes.

Considerations

Despite the preventive benefits of fiber, most adults and children in the United States get less than half of the recommended dietary allowance of this important nutrient, according to a 2009 article in "Nutrition Reviews." To add more whole grains and fiber to your diet, substitute whole-grain bread, whole-grain bagels and English muffins for their refined counterparts. Breakfast cereals and pasta made from whole grains will also add to your daily fiber intake.