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A doctor specialising in gut health has issued a warning over the UK's most popular food. Dr Will Bulsiewicz, who is the US medical director of the health app Zoe, was discussing easy

dietary swaps to make us healthier. He was focussing on bread - something which people in the UK love. According to the UK Flour Millers, which is the trade association for the flour-milling

industry, bread is bought by 99.8 per cent of households, and the equivalent of nearly 11 million loaves are sold each day. That works out at an average of 60.3 loaves of bread per person,

per year, placing it among the UK's most popular foods. The average person in the UK consumes around 54kg of flour every year in things like bread, biscuits, and cakes. Although sliced

white bread remains hugely popular, people are gradually buying healthier options - like wholegrain. And Dr Bulsiewicz, who is also a best-selling author, urged people to ditch the sliced

white stuff as it can apparently have an impact on your health. "It's time to rethink your bread because white bread is probably the type of bread you have in your pantry," he

said. "It is made from refined grains. when they refine the grains, they are stripping away the fibre, the vitamins, the minerals - all the good stuff - and throwing that in the

rubbish, leaving you with the stuff that is going to spike your blood sugar. "And when it spikes, it is going to activate inflammation, and there is a very high possibility that you are

going to crash afterwards, zapping your energy and ruining your day. None of this is to your benefit and that is not what we need." >  IS WHITE BREAD UNHEALTHY? The problem is that

white bread is often ultra-processed. It is usually made using the Chorleywood process a method pioneered in the 1960s that is now used all over the world. It makes bread softer, reduces

production costs, makes uniform slices, and lasts longer. It works by adding hard fats, extra yeast, and a number of chemicals before mixing it at high speed. Sliced white bread's high

level of carbohydrates means your blood sugar can spike as your body turns it into glucose. Research by Zoe suggests this is likely to happen in more than half of the population. A blood

sugar spike can make you feel hungry again not long after eating, while wholegrain bread tends to keep you fuller for longer. White bread often tends to be very low in fibre - around 0.6g

per slice. Brits are recommended to eat 30g a day, meaning you would need to eat 50 slices to hit that amount. More than 90 per cent of people in the country do not consume enough fibre.

White bread is also thought to have a poor effect on your gut health. Zoe scientists say it is bad for a number of the 'good' gut microbes found in most of our digestive systems.

WHAT SHOULD I EAT INSTEAD? Dr Bulsiewicz said: "So instead, let's switch it up and rock something that is wholegrain and particularly sprouted because, basically, this type of

wholegrain bread means more fibre, slower digestion, better blood sugar control, plus the wholegrains have antioxidants and phytonutrients that are wonderful for you and have

anti-inflammatory properties. "I'm a huge fan of sprouting because sprouting unlocks the nutrition. You get better availability and improved digestion, making it easier for you. So

a simple swap can support better gut health, reduce inflammation, and give you more energy throughout the day, and that's what you want." The Zoe website adds: "Try swapping

white bread for whole-grain bread, as this scores better than white bread for your health. Store-bought whole-grain bread is still a processed bread, but it has more fibre than white bread,

which makes it a better option for your gut microbes."