It's claimed to make you fitter, slimmer and cleverer. But is 'healthy bread' worth the dough?

Once there was white bread, which was nicer, and brown, which was better for you.

Now most supermarkets stock 40 or more types, many claiming to help you lose weight or even make you brainier. But how healthy are they really?

Foodie Alex Renton and leading nutritionists  Professor David Colquhoun and Catherine Collins give their verdicts...

Vogel's Soya and Linseed

£1.50 for 800g

The fibre content is average for healthy bread but it contains three times as much sugar

Claims: 'Rammed full of stuff that's really good for you, our dough has a unique consistency that allows it to rise even though it's full of seeds. And we only use slow-acting yeast, no artificial raising agents or other unnatural enhancements like enzymes or emulsifiers.'
REALITY: 'It's not nearly as different nutritionally from white bread as the adverts claim,' says Professor Colquhoun. The protein and fat content is higher than usual, because of the seeds. The fibre content is average for healthy bread but it contains three times as much sugar as other health brands.

Taste test: Strangely limp and damp. Pleasant nutty additions; better toasted. 6/10

HEALTH BENEFITS: 5/10

Now most supermarkets stock 40 or more types of bread, many claiming to help you lose weight

Schneider Organic Multi-Grain

£1.35 for 500g

Claims: 'Wheat-free healthy living. No preservatives, high in fibre, low in fat.'
REALITY: Very high in fibre - three times as much as white bread. Average fat content and high in salt. Suitable for wheat-sensitive people. 'But this gives you a quarter of your daily salt allowance in just one-and-a-half slices,' says Catherine Collins. 

Taste test:  Disgusting - like gone-off yoghurt.1/10

HEALTH BENEFITS: 6/10 

Schneider: Very high in fibre - three times as much as white bread. Average fat content and high in salt (l) and Weight Watchers: Three times as expensive but no more healthy than ordinary supermarket white

Weight Watchers White Danish Sliced

£0.93 for 400g

Claims: 'Low fat. Only 45 calories a slice. We're constantly reviewing the fat, sugar and salt levels in all our Weight Watchers foods.'
REALITY:  More fattening than all but one in our survey, white or brown. Three times as expensive but no more healthy than ordinary supermarket white. In fact, it has slightly more saturated fat (the bad kind) than own-brand white and is quite high in salt and sugar. Professor Colquhoun says 'I can't believe this!'  In defence, Weight Watchers say they are not in control of the price of their licensed products. The boast of '45 calories a slice' is misleading, as slices are half-size.  Calories by weight are 243 per 100 grams. Shocking.

Taste test: Airy, sweet, no  flavour. 1/10

HEALTH BENEFITS: 0/10

Hovis Nimble Wholemeal

£0.75 for 400g

Claims: 'Rich in whole grain goodness, high in fibre, low in fat, no artificial preservatives.'
REALITY: Has more saturated fats per 100g than Vogel and twice as much as ordinary sliced white bread. The '51 calories per slice' on the packet is meaningless because slices are tiny. The bread's real calorific value (by weight) is the same as or higher than other wholemeals (233 kcals per 100g). The amount of fibre is average for wholemeal. Contains E- number additives.

Taste test: Dry, sticky. 2/10

HEALTH BENEFITS:  4/10 

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The Food Doctor Multi Seed and Cereal Loaf

£2.78 for 800g

Claims: Helps people eat 'little and often'. 'Fibre-rich. Good source of Omega 6 and protein'.
REALITY:  Protein level of 8.5g per 100g is hardly more than basic white bread and much less than some other healthy loaves. Fibre levels less than some wholemeals.
'Omega 6 is important but most people get enough  of it in their diet anyway,' says Professor Colquhoun. Catherine Collins says: 'This bread is genuinely rich in essential fats, however, the whole seeds may make it difficult for our body to extract these.'

Taste test: Like cardboard. Desperately in need of salt. 1/10

HEALTH BENEFITS: 4/10

Burgen Buckwheat and Poppyseed

£1.40 for 800g

Claims: 'Fortified with vitamin D. Two slices provide 30 per cent of your calcium and vitamin D recommended daily allowance (RDA), which are needed for the maintenance of normal bones'.
REALITY: 'Added vitamin D is irrelevant in this format,' says Catherine Collins, 'but the extra calcium could be useful to those on a milk-free diet. Contains chemical emulsifiers and preservatives.'

Taste test:  Surprisingly nice. 7/10

HEALTH BENEFITS: 6/10 

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Crosta and Mollica Tuscan bread  (for toasting)

£1.69 for 250g

Claims: This Italian bread is salt-free.
Reality: Useful for heart patients and others on a no-salt diet. Catherine Collins says: 'Salt is an essential ingredient in bread. It strengthens wheat gluten and regulates yeast activity, so cutting it out of the ingredients completely means less palatable bread.'

Taste: You'd have to be terrified  of salt to attempt to eat this. The dog ate it but the children all refused. 0/10

Health benefits: 5/10

Village Bakery organic rye with coriander

400g for £1.59

Claims: 'Made without wheat. Organic. No added baker's yeast. Eating rye bread helps to increase feelings of fullness. Can reduce symptoms associated with wheat intolerance, such as wind, discomfort and bloating.
Reality: Good for people allergic to wheat but it won't have less gluten. Research indicates that rye bread can maintain the feeling of fullness in normal-to-slightly overweight people. Can it really stop wind and bloating, though? Catherine Collins says that in people with sluggish or sensitive bowels, rye will cause those symptoms just like wheat. Also high in sugar at 3.1g per 100g.

Taste: Strangely delicious. 7/10

Health benefits: 8/10

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Cranks Wholemeal

£1.12 for 800g unsliced
Claims: 'This is proper organic bread. We allow the dough to rise slowly over several hours, rather than using additives.
Reality: This is an impressive and inexpensive bread that is  low in sugar and fats and very high in fibre.