The benefits of real rye

Why rye? Because research shows that unlike white bread, which is one of the worst foods for your blood sugar, whole grain rye bread (or whole grain rye crackers or cereal) can help smooth out blood sugar swings and actually reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Read on to discover more benefits of eating rye bread.

Rye bread is even superior to whole wheat bread when it comes to blood sugar control. In one study, on days when women ate whole-rye bread, their blood sugar levels were 10 percent lower than on days when they didn't eat it.

Another study found that eating rye bread reduced the release of insulin compared to eating refined wheat bread, meaning that less insulin was needed to keep blood sugar in check. That's a good thing, because when the body regularly churns out a lot of insulin, the risk of insulin resistance goes up (and so does the risk of diabetes).

A third study found that men who ate whole grain rye bread, crackers and cereal (they got 18 grams of fibre a day from rye) for four weeks saw a drop in blood sugar of up to 19 percent compared to their levels at the start of the study.

The structure and size of the starch particles in the bread certainly play a role. Another explanation: rye contains about three times as much soluble fibre as wheat — also a plus for lowering high cholesterol.

Rye is loaded with lignans, plant compounds that may help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers. And researchers have found that some of the unique plant compounds in whole-grain rye are helpful for intestinal health. One study from Finland (the Finns love their rye) found that people who ate 4 1/2 slices of whole-grain rye bread a day had 26 percent lower levels of compounds linked to colon cancer.

There's one major caveat. By "rye" bread, we mean bread made from whole rye flour. Most of the rye breads you find in stores is made with a combination of refined rye and wheat flour, so they don't have the same fibre content or health benefits. Get out the magnifying glass if you have to and look for "whole-grain rye flour" at the top of the ingredients list. Real rye bread is heavy and dense and bears little resemblance to white sandwich bread.

If you feel a baking spree coming on, and you want to make your own whole-grain rye bread, check out your local health food store or shop online for mail-order whole-grain rye flour.

• Serve your favourite sandwich fixins' on whole-grain rye bread.
• When you reach for cheese and crackers, make the crackers whole-grain rye. Classic brands are Ryvita and Wasa.
• Try whole-grain rye rolls at dinner instead of white rolls, if you can find (or make) them.
• For something different at breakfast, try a multi-whole grain hot cereal that contains rye. Look in a natural foods store for the widest selection.