The glycaemic index is a measure of the rate and size of the rise in blood glucose following consumption of a carbohydrate food. Generally, lower blood glucose responses are associated with health, and foods that cause large positive perturbations in blood glucose trend to be foods that can contribute to the disease process. This process includes the development of insulin resistance, a phenomenon that results from cells protecting their integrity in the face of excess glucose by reducing its uptake. This process results in the more glucose remaining in the blood, and this can cause disease progression. Bread generally has a high glycaemic index, with white bread showing a similar glycaemic response to liquid glucose. Strategies to lower the glycaemic index of bread can therefore provide health benefits to the consumer. Eating other foods with the bread, particularly protein foods, is highly effective at lowering the glycaemic index. Another solution is to consume acidic foods with the bread, as acids tend to generally slow digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Lastly, studies show that freezing and defrosting, toasting, and toasting following freezing are all effective at lowering the glycaemic index of bread. This likely relates to changes in the way that the carbohydrates in the bread interact with one another, and in particular may reflect changes to the moisture content.
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