Let’s throw it back to middle school. You’re sitting in the cafeteria with your bagged lunch. You pull out your PB&J sandwich and if your mom didn’t already cut the crust off for you, it’s second nature to pick it off. The thought of a sandwich with the “butt piece of bread” — you know, that last piece of bread that’s completely crust — was a sin.
Years later, I’m still picking off the crust. After doing some research, I found that it might be time to think twice before throwing away that last piece of bread.
Crust Can Prevent Cancer
According to a German study conducted in 2002, bread crust contains a cancer-fighting antioxidant that is eight times more abundant in the crust than in the rest of the bread. This antioxidant is called pronyl-lysine and all you need to know is that it is formed as a result of cooking both yeast based and non-yeast based breads.
A study at Annamalai University in India tested rats to see if pronyl-lysine effected their development of pre-cancerous lesions. The results? Eating bread seemed to reduce the development of these lesions by up to 72 percent.
It’s Rich in Dietary Fiber
Bread itself is known to be pretty high in fiber. This is important for digestion and for preventing both bowel tumors and even colon cancer. And what part of the bread is found to have the most fiber? You guessed it. The crust.
Which bread is best?
The magical antioxidant found in the crust of bread is more abundant when the bread is broken down and baked. And as for the type of bread, scientists have found that pumpernickel and wheat have the highest amount of antioxidants.
Conclusion
It’s too early to really tell how much bread you need to eat to prevent cancer, but one thing does seem pretty certain: Some bread crust a day keeps the doctor away.