Why You Should Be Soaking Nuts Before Eating Them?

By Team Htv 7 Dec, 2017

Should you be soaking nuts in water before you eat them? What are the advantages of soaking nuts? Well, there are several reasons for soaking nuts ranging from flavor to increased nutritional value. Nuts are a terrific nutrient-dense snack or an addition to a meal; however, nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances found in nuts can be minimized or eliminated by soaking

Why Soak Nuts?

To remove or reduce phytic acid.
To prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss.
To make the proteins more readily available for absorption.
To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes.
To increase the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins.

To break down gluten and make digestion easier.
To neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.
To remove or reduce tannins.
To help neutralize toxins in the colon and keep the colon clean.
To prevent many health diseases and conditions.
To peel away the skin easily.

Soaking Nuts Removes Phytic Acid

Raw nuts are coated with phytic acid. This phytic acid benefits the nuts but not humans. Too much of phytic acid in human body can cause gastrointestinal problems and can interfere with the absorption of nutrients (especially minerals). Soaking nuts before eating them removes phytic acid.

Soaking Nuts Also Removes Tannins

Most people are allergic to tannins (which can also be found in black tea) present in nuts. Tannins may cause digestive problems and other health issues if the individual is sensitive to it. So, it is better to soak the nuts to remove tannins content from them.

Learn about the health benefits of your favorite nuts.

Increases Mineral Absorption

Phytic acid blocks the absorption of minerals in the body. This can result in deficiency of minerals such as iron, zinc and magnesium.

Almost all nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashews etc. are high in phytic acid. Seeds also contain phytic acid which includes sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds etc. It is important to soak them if you are going to eat these nuts and seeds in larger quantities.

How to Soak Nuts?

Add a handful of nuts to a glass bowl.
Add warm water and sea salt (make sure there’s enough water to cover the nuts completely).
Allow them to soak for about 7 hours, or overnight.
When done soaking, drain out the soak water and thoroughly rinse the nuts.
You can then either refrigerate the soaked nuts and consume within 24 hours or dry in a dehydrator (or in oven set on the lowest temperature).
Store them in an airtight container.

Important Note:
• Soaking nuts in plastic is not recommended as plastic can leach into the water and into your food.
• The soak water should always be discarded and never used as water in a recipe or given to your pets.

Do you have any experience with soaking nuts? What method do you use?

Here is your ultimate guide to nuts.

Source:
https://healthyblenderrecipes.com/hints_tips/soaking_nuts_seeds_grains

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