Grains - choices, how to prepare for health
How to soak whole grains before cooking
How to prepare Whole Grains: Soak + Sour or Sprout before cooking
Soak Grains
Health Benefits of Soaking Grains
Soaking WHOLE grains activates digestive enzymes that
increase the availability of nutrients for consumption. Soaking in warm
water mimics the natural seed germination process in the ground, causing the seed
to swell, and BEGIN the sprouting and fermenting
process;
If you wish to further the sprouting
and fermentation process for even better nutrition
(and to remove more antinutrients) - you can either:
- Sprout the grains after
soaking
- Or allow the grains to
soak longer (~3 days) to more completely ferment the grains.
This changes the grains from a poor to a good source of
nutrients. E.g. Make sourdough, provided you can tolerate the tangier taste.
It is likely that our ancestors fermented their whole grains to improve their nutritive
value.
Soaking partially
deactivates lectins in whole grains. Including the troublesome lectins: gliadin
(50% of gluten), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which is highly
present in WHOLE wheat grains
Soaking partially
breaks down phytic acid in whole grains. Only high phytase activity grains will have any significant
reduction in phytic acid;
Egli I, Davidsson L, Juillerat MA, Barclay D, Hurrell RF, The Influence of Soaking
and Germination on the Phytase Activity and Phytic Acid Content of Grains and Seeds
Potentially Useful for Complementary Feeding. (July 2006) J. of Food Sci Note
that whole oats inherently don't contain
many phytase enzymes, and what little they do have is deactivated by heat in the
production of rolled oats; when
soaking oats, add a bit of high phytase flour, such as rye;
One solution to avoiding antinutrients
is to simple eat "white" flour products - If you
are not concerned about nutrients, you can use refined / dehulled grains; certainly
prefer refined ("white") bread to improperly prepared WHOLE WHOLE Wheat wheat has other problems , avoiding
wheat altogether is probably your best choice.
How to Soak Grains
(1) Soak grains in warm
acidified
- Using a mildly acid medium for soaking helps
neutralize antinutrients, many of which inhibit digestive enzymes (E.g. phytates,
lectins, tannins), thereby allowing digestive enzymes to make the grains more digestible
and nutrient-dense. Grain phytase is maximally active at a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, which
is mildly acidic.
- Use enough water to keep the grains
covered - they will swell;
- What to add
to make a mldly acidic medium - either lemon
juice, apple cider vinegar, whey, plain yogurt or kefir;
- When soaking a low-phytase grain, add
some high-phytase grain flour (whole grain rye,
wheat, triticale, buckwheat or barley flour) - the addition of some phytase enzymes
helps break down phytic acid in the low-phytase food.
Guideline
Only - everyone has their own ideas :)
Approximate amounts
Acidic medium
Soak time
2 cups millet *
4 tbsp
7 hours
1 cup buckwheat
2 tbsp
6 hours
1 cup wheat berries
2 tbsp
7 hours
1 cup wild or black rice
2 tbsp
9 hours
1 cup kamut
2 tbsp
12-24 hours
1 cup quinoa
2 tbsp
12-24 hours
1 cup teff or amaranth
2 tbsp
24 hours
2 cups brown rice *
4 tbsp
7 hours
1 cup oat groats
2 tbsp
24 hours
* LOW PHYTATE COUNT - ADD SOME HIGH-PHYTASE GRAIN
FLOUR
(2) After soaking for the required
time, discard the acidic soaking water and rinse grains -
using a sieve makes this easier; for very small
grains line the sieve with a cheesecloth. Also rinse and change water every 12 hours
if using a longer soak time
(3) Refrigerate drained grains and
use within a few days to prevent spoilage
Sprout or Sour
(after
soaking grains)
After soaking whole grains, they should
be either sprouted or soured (i.e. fermented)
to further increase nutrient availability and reduce antinutrients:
How to sprout / germinate
grains
How to sour / ferment grains
(E.g. in sourdough)
Extra notes on grains
Fresh milled flour has more phytase
enzymes. These generally deplete with time; more
phytase aids break down of phytic acid;
