Early in 1999, however, new data from the long-running Nurses Health Study at Brigham
Women’s Hospital/Harvard University School of Public Health showed that women who ate
a high-fiber diet had a risk of colon cancer similar to that of women who ate a low fiber diet.
Because this study contradicts literally hundreds of others conducted over the past 30 years,
researchers are awaiting confirming evidence before changing dietary recommendations.
Calming effect. Mood is affected by naturally occurring chemicals called neurotransmitters
that facilitate transmission of impulses between brain cells. The amino acid tryptophan
amino acid is the most important constituent of serotonin, a “calming” neurotransmitter.
Foods such as bread, which are high in complex carbohydrates, help move tryptophan into
your brain, increasing the availability of serotonin.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food
Allergic reactions and/or gastric distress. Bread contains several ingredients that may trigger
allergic reactions, aggravate digestive problems, or upset a specific diet, among them gluten
(prohibited on gluten-free diets); milk (prohibited on a lactose- and galactose-free diet or
for people who are sensitive to milk proteins); sugar (prohibited on a sucrose-free diet); salt
(controlled on a sodium-restricted diet); and fats (restricted or prohibited on a controlled-fat,
low-cholesterol diet).
Food/Drug Interactions
Bread