The controversy of phytates in grains, nuts, seeds, etc.

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TopHatFox
Posts: 2322
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:07 pm
Location: FL; 25

The controversy of phytates in grains, nuts, seeds, etc.

Post by TopHatFox »

I've been reading about nutrition lately, and I've come across many claims stating that one should soak grains to reduce the amount of phytates in them, phytates being a potentially inflammatory nutrient and potential nutrient blocker, if eaten in large enough quantities.

I'm wondering if just boiling the grains until they're soft counts as "soaking;" in other words, if simply boiling until soft reduces the phytic acid just as much as soaking overnight. Obviously I see the time benefits of soaking beans overnight, but It's a lot more convenient if I can eat brown rice and lentils without having to soak them overnight.

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In case if you'd like to read the case against phytates--in other words, what I'm thinking through--here is what I think is a typical but likely overly biased article: http://wellnessmama.com/575/how-grains- ... ou-slowly/

(Tbh I don't like Wellness Mama or the book she bases a lot of her research on, Nourishing Traditions, but they're the one's writing anti-grain literature, so it's interesting to read their points and then reasonably consolidate or refute them).

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Other key considerations is sprouting or fermenting food to both reduce phytic acid content and make more vitamins & minerals available. For instance, soy beans can be difficult for the human digesting system to process, but sprouted soy beans have much more vitamin A & C, and tempeh, miso, or soy sauce are easier for the human digestive system to process.

stoneage
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:24 am

Re: The controversy of phytates in grains, nuts, seeds, etc.

Post by stoneage »

I would not bet on that, unless you change the water during the cooking OR you cook your grain with a high water/grains ratio.
Soaking activates enzymes (phytases) that degrade phytates, while boiling would just help phytic acid to diffuse in water...

Ari
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 1:49 am

Re: The controversy of phytates in grains, nuts, seeds, etc.

Post by Ari »

I know nothing of phytates, but that webpage really sets of a lot of alarm bells in my head. I'd be very skeptical to any information presented in it. I can see it claiming that paleolithic people didn't eat grains, which is demonstrably false. It also claims gluten is bad for you, even if you're not gluten intolerant, a claim for which there is very little, if any, scientific backing. So the phytates claim might be true, and it might not, but I'd look for a better source than that page.

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