19 replies to this topic

[waldemar]

I'm not sure if this belongs into supplements or nutrition. Anyway... while baking my own bread I was wondering if it would make sense to fortify it with some vitamins, minerals, resveratrol, whatever.

The advantages are imho:
*) using bulk powders isn't a hazzle anymore
*) substances that only help in large amounts are no problem
*) it's faster and easier than capping

Of course the supplements would have to fulfill the following criteria:
*) heat should be no problem
*) mixing with yeast should be no problem (neither for the supplement, nor for the yeast
*) getting too much or too little of it should also be no problem (factor of 10 or so, worst case)
*) taste should be good or neutral

The supplements that I have thought of are:
*) magnesium
*) vitamin c (might be a problem with heat)
*) chitosan (for bread with "negative calories" by itself if you put something fatty on it)
*) chlorella
*) oatmeal
*) green tea extract
*) choline, perhaps directly as an egg :-)

What about resveratrol? What about anything else?

[waldemar]

Ok, no answers... I'll try pushing this thread up a little.

So far I'm considering Lecithin which also works as an emulgator and improves the softness and quality of the bread beside being a cholinergic. Magnesium ascorbate also looks quite good, because ascorbate improves the growth of the yeast as a bonus.

Any further ideas?

[Lufega]

Lysine

Lysine fortification reduces anxiety and lessens stress in family members in economically weak communities in Northwest Syria
Miro Smriga*, Shibani Ghosh†,‡, Youssef Mouneimne§, Peter L. Pellett¶, and Nevin S. Scrimshaw‡,∥
+Author Affiliations

*Institute of Life Sciences, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 210-8681 Kawasaki, Japan; †International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Tel Hadya, Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic; §Central Research Science Laboratory, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; ¶Department of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9282; and ‡Food and Nutrition Program, United Nations University, Boston, MA 02111
Contributed by Nevin S. Scrimshaw, April 20, 2004

Next SectionAbstract
Lysine is a limiting amino acid in diets based on wheat as the staple. In experimental animals, prolonged dietary lysine inadequacy increases stress-induced anxiety. If observed in humans, such a result would have a strong implication for the relationship between nutrition and communal quality of life and mental health. As part of a 3-month randomized double-blind study, we tested whether lysine fortification of wheat reduces anxiety and stress response in family members in poor Syrian communities consuming wheat as a staple food. In the lysine-fortified group, the plasma cortisol response to the blood drawing as a cause of stress was reduced in females, as was sympathetic arousal in males as measured by skin conductance. Lysine fortification also significantly reduced chronic anxiety as measured by the trait anxiety inventory in males. These results suggest that some stress responses in economically weak populations consuming cereal-based diets can be improved with lysine fortification.

Dietary inadequacy of an essential amino acid leads to nonspecific signs of protein deficiency, such as lowered resistance to disease, decreased blood proteins, and stunting in children. The risk of lysine inadequacy is high where low socioeconomic groups depend on wheat for their protein supply (1), but experimental evidence of the nutritional benefits of increasing the lysine content of wheat flour is limited (2–8). This study, which was a part of a larger wheat fortification trial, was based on a hypothesis that fortification of a lysine inadequate diet in poor communities may reduce anxiety and improve stress response, thereby potentially improving the quality of life. The hypothesis originated from studies that found worsening of stress-induced anxiety and colonic health in rats fed a lysine-deficient diet (9) and an improvement of stress responses in rats and pigs receiving lysine loads (10, 11). The anxiogenic response to lysine inadequacy in rats was mediated via serotonin alterations in the central amygdala (9), the brain region functionally comparable in rodents and humans (12). Therefore, we extrapolated the animal studies to humans consuming lysine-deficient diets and measured stress-associated responses in rural communities in Northwestern Syria. This study is a clinical investigation of neuroendocrine and psychological responses to lysine fortification.

Full study here
http://www.pnas.org/...01/22/8285.full

[mitkat]

Fortify with Inulin! Baking with inulin is being done commercially now in some breads but I've trying it for a while (like all good Imminststers, ahead of the curve), promotes intestinal bacterial growth, increases calcium absorption, it goes on. Definitely something you should throw in there.

[mitkat]

Great idea btw waldemar... this is something I'd like to look into a little more! With all the talk of maximising bioavailbility of res-v in various carriers, it's about time we come up with other novel methods of introducing goodies into our bodies. I think my christmas baking may not be over just yet.

[waldemar]

Ok, so what would be the ideal amounts of this stuff for one loaf (weighing about 750 g) of whole-grain bread?

My guess right now is:

500 mg lysine
800 mg magnesium ascorbate
1.000 mg inulin
~1 TSP lecithin

I have no idea if resv in bread has any advantage over resv in capsules. Isn't the heat bad for it?

[Lufega]

From the study above..

"Based on the dietary surveys and a previous clinical trial (7), the fortification level was set at 4.2 g of lysine HCl per kg of wheat flour. "

[waldemar]

Ok, there's about 500 g of wheat flour in the loaf. So that would be about 2 g of lysine.
The amount of inulin was also off by about a factor 10. I meant 10 g when typing it.

[Lufega]

You know, I had an old bread maker I allowed to rust. This thread just made me regret that...Inuline, lysine, magnesium! As long as it doesn't affect the taste, all this stuff sounds awsome.

[Lufega]

Ok..NOW I've seen it all. It's a song about Lysine by Max Tundra.

Lyrics to Lysine :
I isolate amino acids sometimes
I bottle them and sell them when the sun shines
Cold sores erupt if you don't keep lysine levels healthy
A tingle on your lip, should come and see me

Many foods are rich in arginine
Concentrate on the ones with more lysine
Highest levels of all in margarine

My attitude of sorrow for the dead man
was hidden by my interest in his great plan
His dying 4/4 gasp withdrew his wait from the game
Now listening posts in Fnac will carry my name

An obiturary by Mr. Toop
Now he's gone there's one less laptop loop
With your help this time 'round I might recoup

Edited by Lufega, 26 December 2008 - 11:51 PM.

[waldemar]

What about curcumin? Should imho be less dirty than all the other methods...

[DukeNukem]

Next I want to see a thread on how to fortify high fructose corn syrup.

[Mixter]

Beta-Glucan
Cocoa

EDIT: tried the above two, tastes great.. beta-glucan is a natural component of wheat

Stevia to make cake

Edited by mixter, 30 January 2009 - 08:11 PM.

[4eva]

I would not be inclined to add powdered supplements. You could have problems with taste and or texture. I wouldn't want to add synthetic supplements; I think high density nutrient food sources would be more interesting.

There are some powders that might be considered either superfoods or native food sources that can be interesting to experiment with. Mesquite has been added to chocolate chip cookie dough to enhance the flavor. Mesquite meal or flour has some nutrients and amino acids. But the flavor might be an enhancement too.

Lucuma and camu camu are also used in place of some of the flour in baked goods. Camu is high in vitamin C. It may be the highest source of C, I'm not sure. Its a fruit so it can add sweatness; and may not have the same effect on blood sugar, I forget now.

Lucuma is the most popular flavor of ice cream in peru. This would be a flavor enhancement too.

Most of these powders are probably found at raw food sites. You could also add them to your protein shake.

I add maca powder to my protein shake. The flavor can be pleasant if you don't add to much.

There are other powders you could try that are not normally used in baking like pomergranite, acai, goji, yumberry, cacoa, etc, that may lose some b vitamins from being heated. I have no idea how heat effects phytonutrients.

Nutritional yeast has a pleasant nutty parmesan cheese flavor but some of the b vitamin content would be reduced by the heat.

Rice polish is high in nutrients and protein, but some are b vitamins.

Sea vegetables can be an excellent source of minerals. The flavor might be strong if you add too much.

Some low carbers use coconut flour. Coconut flour can be substituted for regular flour up to about a quarter a cup I think without adding more egg. Substituting more than that amount requires additional eggs which increases the protein content. Coconut flour is higher in protein than wheat flour and an excellent source of fiber. But you can't substistute too much of these flours without losing the leavening properties of the wheat. But if you are using yeast then you may be able to stretch that limitation of the substituting other flours or powders. You may need either more yeast or longer proofing if you use coconut flour because it is heavy.

Whey protein I would think would be OK for added protein since this is added to commercial low carb baked goods.

Have you also experimented with other whole grain flours like amaranth, buckwheat, millet, nut flours, etc? Oat bread with rolled oats is good.

You could grind up organic milk thistle seeds. Too much though can cause diarrhea as it causes an increase in bile production. Milk thistle seeds tastes like a combo of chia and hemp seeds. Obviously other seeds would be another possibility.

I like Austrian pumpkin seeds because they have a more intense flavor and higher nutrient content. Nuts and seeds are roasted so heating shouldn't be a problem.

Freeze dried veggies might be a possiblilty. I love freeze dried peas. You can ground to a powder or add whole. Freeze dried fruits and veggies are now popular and tasty snacks.

There are some beans that are sold as heathy snack foods like roasted fava beans, chickpeas and soy beans. These would add a crunchy texture that might be interesting in a healthy dense bread.

I wouldn't add synthetically made supplements when there are so many food sources to consider first. I wouldn't want a bread that was enriched with synthetic supplements.

[yoyo]

what 4eva said, also, make it sourdough.

[ajnast4r]

Ok..NOW I've seen it all. It's a song about Lysine by Max Tundra.

Lyrics to Lysine :
I isolate amino acids sometimes
I bottle them and sell them when the sun shines
Cold sores erupt if you don't keep lysine levels healthy
A tingle on your lip, should come and see me

Many foods are rich in arginine
Concentrate on the ones with more lysine
Highest levels of all in margarine

My attitude of sorrow for the dead man
was hidden by my interest in his great plan
His dying 4/4 gasp withdrew his wait from the game
Now listening posts in Fnac will carry my name

An obiturary by Mr. Toop
Now he's gone there's one less laptop loop
With your help this time 'round I might recoup

WOW.. just WOW

[waldemar]

4eva: I like your ideas, and I'll add comments:

I would not be inclined to add powdered supplements. You could have problems with taste and or texture. I wouldn't want to add synthetic supplements; I think high density nutrient food sources would be more interesting.

Taste and texture: that highly depends on the supplement. E.g. Vitamin C or Lecithin don't do anything bad to the taste, just don't add Piracetam. XD

There are some powders that might be considered either superfoods or native food sources that can be interesting to experiment with. Mesquite has been added to chocolate chip cookie dough to enhance the flavor. Mesquite meal or flour has some nutrients and amino acids. But the flavor might be an enhancement too.

Lucuma and camu camu are also used in place of some of the flour in baked goods. Camu is high in vitamin C. It may be the highest source of C, I'm not sure. Its a fruit so it can add sweatness; and may not have the same effect on blood sugar, I forget now.

Lucuma is the most popular flavor of ice cream in peru. This would be a flavor enhancement too.

Most of these powders are probably found at raw food sites. You could also add them to your protein shake.

I add maca powder to my protein shake. The flavor can be pleasant if you don't add to much.

I don't know any of these, so I'm going to look into them. :-)

Nutritional yeast has a pleasant nutty parmesan cheese flavor but some of the b vitamin content would be reduced by the heat.

Do we really want that taste in bread?

Sea vegetables can be an excellent source of minerals. The flavor might be strong if you add too much.

Yeah, the flavor might be the big killer here (Chlorella etc.).

Some low carbers use coconut flour. Coconut flour can be substituted for regular flour up to about a quarter a cup I think without adding more egg. Substituting more than that amount requires additional eggs which increases the protein content. Coconut flour is higher in protein than wheat flour and an excellent source of fiber. But you can't substistute too much of these flours without losing the leavening properties of the wheat. But if you are using yeast then you may be able to stretch that limitation of the substituting other flours or powders. You may need either more yeast or longer proofing if you use coconut flour because it is heavy.

Whey protein I would think would be OK for added protein since this is added to commercial low carb baked goods.

Too much protein instead of flour means the bread won't rise. Great if you need bricks for building a house or something. :D
In small amounts probably a good idea. The question is how much. 5%? 10%? 20%?

Have you also experimented with other whole grain flours like amaranth, buckwheat, millet, nut flours, etc? Oat bread with rolled oats is good.

A little, yeah. With mixed results.
I add oats all the time. Works great, extra fiber.
Buckwheat... oh well. It was worth a try. :/
Sunflower seeds (peeled) are also nice.
Sesame seeds - I don't notice them much, but they are supposed to be healthy so I add them to the mix.

I like Austrian pumpkin seeds because they have a more intense flavor and higher nutrient content. Nuts and seeds are roasted so heating shouldn't be a problem.

I already use them in my bread. Imported directly from Styria (not Syria). :-)
The amount is critical (better too little than too many).

Freeze dried veggies might be a possiblilty. I love freeze dried peas. You can ground to a powder or add whole. Freeze dried fruits and veggies are now popular and tasty snacks.

There are some beans that are sold as heathy snack foods like roasted fava beans, chickpeas and soy beans. These would add a crunchy texture that might be interesting in a healthy dense bread.

Freeze dried veggies - nice idea. I once added shredded carrots, which worked great, but it was too much hassle. Freeze dried stuff would be much easier. Does that still contain all the nutrients? What would be the easiest way to shred it into tiny (<2mm) pieces?

I wouldn't add synthetically made supplements when there are so many food sources to consider first. I wouldn't want a bread that was enriched with synthetic supplements.

Ok, I completely disagree here, but that seems to be more of a personal opinion and I respect yours.

[waldemar]

Next I want to see a thread on how to fortify high fructose corn syrup.

Yeah! I recommend adding glucose!

[4eva]

You should consider mesquite. It has a whole lot of potassium and a good amount of calcium. There are some other minerals/trace minerals and vitamins too; but its high in lysine. Mesquite as a flavor described as a number of things - maple syrup, molasses, coffee/latte with cinnimon. You just have to figure out how much flour to replace, maybe two tablespoons for a start. There are explanations on the web on how to replace some of the (wheat) flour. And you can put it in drinks and use it as a spice.
Nutritional yeast may not be good in bread because you will be baking it. But if you've never tried it the flavor is great in some things. It works wonderfully in chicken-broth based soups. It definitely enhances the flavor of chicken broth. I add some before I start to eat the soup so its not getting cooked. Some people put it on popcorn. I add it to my baked potato and it gives the potato a good flavor (definite flavor enhancement). (Brewer's yeast is bitter; not something I recommend adding to foods.)

My understanding is that freeze dried fruits and veggies are the same as fresh just much less water content. They freeze them and then dehydrate them somehow. The technology is not that simple it seems.

You might try some F-D fruits or veggies from a Whole Foods or Trader Joes in a small quantity and then surf online for larger, more economical quantities if you like that form. Freeze dried produce isn't cheap; but it has a long shelf life and it makes an excellent snack. Like F-D banana slices are a sweet and surprisingly crunchy snack. The crunchy texture makes eating veggies more satisifying I think.

You can chop them into small pieces if you need to. You might use a coffee grinder or mechanical chopper if you use a significant quantity or want small pieces.

I realize you were thinking of using home baked bread as a vehicle for supplements but if you don't have a problematic supplement like something hydrophobic then why mess with the essence of home baked bread by adding some synthetic substance that seems to be making it more like a commerically enriched bread. I would rather enjoy home baked bread without powdered supplements that I can take separately. But to each his own.

Of course there are all sorts of small seeds you might experiment with. I like celery seeds; but dill, cardomon, caraway, poppy, chia, hemp, fennel, etc, might be interesting to play around with. Whole foods has a seduction bread with all sorts of seeds. I like the texture of it with all the seeds. You might have to experiment with what seeds go together and what ones don't, or what ones you like the most.

Of course if you really want to go the distance you could sprout your own seeds and then use them somehow (either finely ground into powder or added whole or in pieces). Sprouted breads are better than regular whole grain bread, I think.

[waldemar]

Quinoa might also be a good idea. Full protein, much lysine and magnesium, no gluten. I tried cooking the quinoa kernels at low temp until they break apart, and then added it to my standard bread mix. Worked really well. This also looks interesting: http://southamerican...quinoabread.htm