This Bread Rises to the Occasion

Most Americans do not get sufficient amounts of vitamin D, putting them at risk for a number of conditions. New research shows bread made with high vitamin-D yeast could help solve this problem.

Researcher Connie Weaver and colleagues looked at how bread could boost vitamin D levels and lower the risks of heart disease, cancer, allergies in children and other conditions.

In lab experiment with rats, Weaver and associates found bread made with high levels of vitamin D2-rich yeast demonstrated health effects comparable to the kind of vitamin D produced by the sun, D3.

Weaver said the yeast could serve as a valuable source of vitamin D in American diets should bread-makers opt to incorporate the additive.

Calcium cannot be absorbed in the body without vitamin D, which is produced naturally in the skin from exposure to sunlight. The nutrient is also found in fortified milk and is readily available in supplemental form. Still an estimated 7 out of 10 Americans do not get sufficient levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D enriched bread could benefit people with Chron's and IBS, as studies have shown that their diseases cause difficulty in absorbing viitamin D.

And if you have celiac disease, you still might be able to have some of this yummy vitamin D bread: http://www.dailyrx.com/news-article/pass-bread-11465.html.