Indigestion may cover a range of symptoms -- from sharp feelings of heartburn to solid, uncomfortable feelings in your gut. Certain foods may trigger indigestion. White bread, with its low fiber content and high starch content, may cause indigestion symptoms. Regular stomach pains or indigestion may also point to some other conditions, such as celiac disease.
White bread contains refined flour. The refining process removes a lot of the natural fiber content from the wheat grains by stripping out the bran. Fiber plays a very important role in keeping your bowel healthy -- in some cases helping to avoid indigestion. More commonly, fiber helps your stools move through the bowel without becoming hard and impacted. Low fiber white bread can lead to blockages in your digestive system. As a comparison, white bread is made up of only 2.4 percent fiber, while whole grain bread includes 7.4 percent fiber, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database.
GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, causes digestive acids and enzymes from the stomach or small intestine to leak back up into the more delicate esophagus. Your esophagus is the tube in your throat that carries food to the stomach. Refined foods such as white bread can trigger symptoms of GERD. This may feel like a sharp pain behind the chest bone, or rising up into your throat -- the symptoms known as heartburn.
Celiac disease may be diagnosed in people who cannot tolerate the substance gluten in the diet. Gluten is derived from grains such as wheat. Nearly all standard white bread available in American stores contains gluten, unless the bread is specifically listed as gluten free. Though symptoms of celiac disease vary, you may experience indigestion-like pains and cramps if you eat white bread and suffer from gluten intolerance. Your doctor can perform tests for gluten intolerance and recommend a suitable diet that avoids white bread.
If you love the taste of white bread, but frequently experience indigestion symptoms soon after eating, try reducing the amount you eat at a time and how often your eat the bread. Alternatively, try eating the whole wheat white bread available in some stores. This contains more fiber. If reducing portions, frequency or bread type makes no difference, speak to your doctor about potential causes for your persistent indigestion.
