That’s interesting because Sprouts Sourdough (SF artisan) caused me a major gut issue last week. I had it at a meal where we ate raw shredded cabbage (the type you buy to make coleslaw with) and served sautéed pork atop the cabbage. We had the sourdough with grassfed butter, as calcium binds to phytic acid and further removes any traces still left in the grain of the bread. Within less than an hour I was extremely bloated.

We then had this meal again for leftovers the next day. Well both times, gas and pain and bloating so I’m sure it was something in the meal! I blamed the cabbage at first, thinking if broccoli is a FODMAP, cabbage must be, too, but it isn’t. I blamed having too MUCH cabbage, or even too much bread (and those are still plausible possibilities to me – cabbage may not be FODMAP as per the Monash app I have, but it sure is sulfuric). I also blamed the small amount of garlic powder on the pork but I use the same small amount on almost every meat we make and I do fine. It could literally be the quantity of FODMAPs between garlic powder and sourdough.

I have SIBO and I’m on an herbal protocol to kill the bacteria so I’m trying to stay low FODMAP to starve the little buggers out. Before I found out I had SIBO I swore I had become a Celiac because I couldnt do any grain but white rice.

Supposedly gluten is eaten by the lactobacilli in the fermentation process so if sourdough is A) essentially gluten free B) essentially phytic acid free, and C) essentially FODMAP free…. My only conclusion is Sprouts may not be doing a long enough ferment to erase A, B, and C for people very sensitive to wheat.

What are your thoughts?
Michelle Bishop CNC

When yeast is added to a sourdough bread–this likely means that it was added to speed up the rising/leavening process. FODMAPs are reduced by sourdough culture when allowed to slowly ferment in the dough. So, yeast added as an ingredient in a sourdough bread means that the bread may have some reduction in FODMAPs–but not as much as a bread that is leavened by sourdough culture alone.

Hi Kiki – a question: are you referring to the Sprout’s Artisan San Francisco sourdough or the Sprout’s sourdough sandwich bread? The sandwich bread has yeast as the second-to-the-last ingredient and I thought yeast increased FODMAPs…Thanks for any assistance!

I am not sure that Monash U researchers have looked into this specifically. Food is very complicated, isn’t it!!

Hi Kate, thanks for the info. I was thinking 24 hours was the magic number, but wanted to verify. Also, I don’t want to overdue the fermentation either, because I’m dealing with two buckets here, fodmaps and histamine bucket. So, it’s a huge balancing act. On another note, want to ask if any of these top docs researching the Functional GI disorders, have looked at the second ingredient in almost all commercial breads and store bought flours. It is the malted barley flour added to wheat flour. Malted anything is highly fermentable and higher on the histamine side too. So, it’s a double whammy. And, barley is a fodmap too. I have found that my dd can eat wheat products I make homemade without any adverse side effects when i use Hodgson’s Mills unbleached white wheat flour that has No added Malted Barley flour in it. . But, give her a slice of regular store bought bread, and it gives her nausea. She also has no issues with pasta, but that uses Durham wheat which has a stronger gluten bond, but once again – no added malted barley flour. I’ve tested this several times. I’m not sure if this is a histamine/T cell type of food allergy for my dd or a FODMAP bucket issue, but I would think it definitely is something for others to trial and see if it makes a difference. Also, not sure if the malted barley flour is added to the wheat flours in other countries. Do you know if Monash has looked into this?? I would think it would be interesting to have them compare the amount of fermentation when you isolate white wheat flour compared to white wheat flour with the added barley malt. This could be a big contributing factor that some are overlooking. I know I have for years but everything is tougher to sort out with young children.

No discussions about the length of time for fermentation–though suspect longer may lower fructans and gluten. Food is complex and there are so many variables that factor into gluten and fructan content of a food product. I would think the 24 hours fermentation should be enough–but it just might be worth trying small amounts of the bread to assess her tolerance. 1/2 slice then advance to full slice next day–etc.

Best,
Kate

Kelly, if the sourdough bread does not have yeast as an ingredient–then it should be slowly risen…and might be worth a try.