Nutrition 101: Soaking Grains

Grains are a very important part of our diet. Its important to soak your grains for a minimum of 8 hours and up to about 24 hours. I like to soak my over night for breakfast or during the day for dinner. Not only does soaking/sprouting make the grains more digestible and better for you, but it saves time when cooking. A soaked barley or brown rice cooks up in a matter of minutes.

Here are some excerpts from Sally Fallon's Book, Nourishing Traditions that I found to be especially informative on Soaking Grains:

We recommend the use of a variety of whole grains but with an important caveat. Phosphorus in the bran of whole grains is tied up in a substance called phytic acid. Phytic acid combines with iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc in the intestinal tract, blocking their absorption. Whole grains also contain enzyme inhibitors that can interfere with digestion. Traditional societies usually soak or ferment their grains before eating them, processes that neutralize phytates and enzyme inhibitors and, in effect, predigest grains so that all their nutrients are more available...Many people who are allergic to grains will tolerate them well when they are prepared according to these procedures. - p.25

Grains, nuts, legumes, and seeds are rich in enzymes, as well as other nutrients, but they also contain enzyme inhibitors. Unless deactivated, these enzyme inhibitors can put great strain on the digestive system. Sprouting, soaking in warm acidic water, sour leavening, culturing and fermenting -all processes used in traditional societies- deactivate enzyme inhibitors, thus making nutrients in grains, nuts and seeds more readily available. - p.47

The well-meaning advice of many nutritionists, to consume whole grains as our ancestors did and not refined flours and polished rice, is misleading and often harmful in its consequences; for while our ancestors ate whole grains, they did not consume them as presented in our modern cookbooks in the form of quick-rise breads, granolas and other hastily prepared casseroles and concoctions. Our ancestors, and virtually all preindustrialized peoples, soaked or fermented their grains before making them into porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles...a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss...As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. -p.452

http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735