The Hidden Dangers in Your Whole Grains, Beans, Nuts and Seeds?

Whole foods such as grains, beans, nuts, and seeds are now widely recognized as very healthy foods to incorporate into our diet. More and more health conscious consumers are heeding the call that processed, refined foods are a leading cause of disease and are trading in their boxes of crunchy cereals, quick-cooking grains, bagged breads and other “instant” foods for more traditional foods that are left in their natural state. However, since many of us are addicted to speed and convenience, our quick cooking methods are not enough to render these foods as “healthy” as we may think.

So, what’s wrong with simply tossing grains and beans into a pot and boiling them in water, or eating nuts and seeds right out of the bag? As you will come to understand, there is plenty... Before modern food processing took over, it was well understood that whole foods, especially grains, beans, nuts and seeds required careful preparation, otherwise they can cause digestive stress, reduce our ability to absorb minerals, block important enzymes and cause moderate to serious health conditions.
Those Pesky Anti-Nutrients – A Hidden Danger in Grains, Beans, Nuts and Seeds

You see, all grains, beans, nuts and seeds contain anti-nutrients in the outer bran or seed coat. These toxic substances protect them from the radiation of the sun, insects and predators, and invasion by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Moreover, after harvesting, this protective coating allows these foods to be stored for long periods of time without them turning rancid or forming mold. In nature, these anti-nutrients are naturally eliminated from the outer coating when there is enough moisture, warmth and acidity to sustain the plant seed once it enters the ground to germinate.
A Vital Step that You May Not Be Aware of When it Comes to Preparing Grains, Beans, Nuts & Seeds

Soaking mimics the natural germination process that takes place in nature; it neutralizes anti-nutrients, unlocks precious enzymes and nutrients, and renders these foods more viable for consumption. This was a traditional practice of food preparation passed down from generation to generation by our ancestors—then virtually forgotten once modern food processing took over.

The following are a few of the problems inherent with all grains, beans, nuts and seeds...


Phytic Acid and Mineral Deficiencies

The most known anti-nutrient found in grains, beans, nuts and seeds is phytic acid (or phytate), a phosphorous-bound organic acid that protects the plant seed from premature germination and locks its nutrients tightly inside to nourish the embryo. If not properly released before processing and cooking, when consumed, these phytic acids combine with important minerals such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron and copper and prevent absorption. Phytic acid also has the potential to block protein absorption. This not only applies to the minerals and protein in the food containing the phytic acid, but also the food that you eat with it.

Over time, regularly consuming foods (processed or whole) that contain phytic acid can lead to serious mineral deficiencies and cause a wide array of health problems including digestive irritability, impaired immune function, allergies, skin irritations, decaying teeth, bone loss, anemia, hormone disruption, altered brain function and poor physiological development. These health issues are especially prevalent in babies and young children who are consistently fed diets high in processed cereal, crackers, bread, nut butters, soy formula, etc.

Enzyme Inhibitors

Plant seeds also contain enzyme inhibitors that protect the plant from predators. These inhibitors block enzyme function, most notably the uptake of trypsin, an enzyme responsible for digesting protein. Animal research has shown that over consumption of foods containing trypsin inhibitors can lead to hyper-secretion of pancreatic enzymes, an enlarged pancreas and benign tumors. This increased requirement for pancreatic enzymes depletes the body of valuable resources for other physiological functions as well, and sets up the conditions for chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, impaired digestion, immune suppression, increased allergies, severe intestinal issues and declined mental function.

What you may not know about soy...

Soy exploded onto the scene in the 1990’s as the “miracle food” armed and ready to fight everything from cancer to heart disease to hot flashes—and a slew of other illnesses in between. The problem with these claims is that they were misleading and simply untrue. The sudden surge of soy into our food supply had very little to do with improving the American diet. It was nothing more than clever marketing to further reduce manufacturing costs of processed foods (soy is incredibly cheap to grow), and to use the surplus of soy protein isolate, a by-product of the soy oil industry.

Among the many inherent dangers of soy is that it contains a high concentration of phytates, enzyme inhibitors, goitrogens and other poisonous plant toxins—so much so that it’s almost impossible to get rid of them. Simply soaking soy beans overnight is not enough to adequately release and neutralize these anti-nutrients. Products like soy milk, tofu, meat substitutes and dairy substitutes are chock full of poisonous anti-nutrients and should be avoided at all costs. Read Cinderella's Dark Side for more information about the dangers of soy.
Soy proponents had us believing that Asian cultures had safely consumed this food as a staple for thousands of years. This was only a half truth that steered consumers down a deceptive path. The Asian culture did indeed include soy in their diet, but rarely in its natural form, and certainly not in the amount recommended by the Food and Drug Administration.

In contrast, fermented soy foods like miso, tempeh, natto and tamari are widely consumed in Asian cultures as a condiment, not as a staple or meat substitute. It was the Chinese that first discovered fermentation was really the only way to render this food as edible. And again it has only ever been consumed in very small amounts, much like mustard in this culture. This means that if you eat soy at all, you should choose fermented soy and consume it sparingly.

*Soy sauce should be naturally fermented and unpasteurized like Nama Shoyu. Most commercial soy sauce is not fermented, is highly pasteurized, and loaded with MSG.


Also beware of non-soy foods that contain soy in the ingredients. Soy bean oil, lecithin (found in all commercial chocolate), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and textured plant protein are among the many names used to disguise soy ingredients in products like canned tuna, cereal, bread and frozen food. It is estimated that more than 60% of food products today currently contain soy in some form, so becoming a savvy ingredient "expert" will benefit you greatly.

Beans....why are they so hard to digest?


Beans are a beloved staple for many vegans and vegetarians for their frugality and protein content. They are delicious and filling, but they also cause some undesirable digestive issues. The obvious of these is gas, bloating, cramping, and indigestion.

Besides the phytic acid contained in legumes, the harder beans such as kidney beans, navy beans and black beans contain oligosaccharides. Humans do not produce the enzyme necessary to break down these complex sugars. When consumed, the oligosaccharides ferment in the lower intestine producing carbon dioxide and methane gases. You can guess the rest…
Soaking and Fermenting Whole Foods Has Been Practiced for Thousands of Years

Virtually all traditional cultures ate grains, beans, nuts and seeds for thousands of years and used slow food type methods such as soaking and fermenting to make them more digestible. It wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that quick food preparation became the preferred method and soaking sifted its way out of cookbooks.

In her book "Nourishing Traditions," Sally Fallon illustrates how Indians fermented rice and lentils before making dosas; Ethiopians fermented the grain teff before making flat bread; in Mexico, corn was fermented before making corn cakes. Europeans typically soaked grains for several days in sour milk before making porridge, and American pioneers were famous for their sourdough breads, pancakes and biscuits.

The Benefits of Soaking
Through the soaking process, enzymes, lactobacilli and other beneficial organisms break down the phytic acid and neutralize enzyme inhibitors. Soaking also breaks down complex starches, irritating tannins and difficult-to-digest proteins, including gluten, into simpler components that are easier to absorb. For many, this will lessen your sensitivity or allergic reactions to particular grains. Soaking also breaks down oligosaccharides found in beans which makes them way more fun to eat.

Soaking not only releases or deactivates toxic substances it also dramatically increases the nutrient content of foods. Vital proteins, vitamins (especially vitamin B), enzymes and minerals found in nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes are unlocked through the soaking process, making them ten times more nutritious than in their raw form.
Here is a long list of benefits you receive when you soak your nuts, grains and legumes:

  • Remove or reduce phytic acid

  • Neutralize enzyme inhibitors

  • Eliminate or reduce lectins, gluten, tannins, goitrogens, and other antinutrients that are hard for the body to break down

  • Encourage the production of beneficial enzymes

  • Increase nutrient content, especially vitamin B

  • Break down hard-to-digest proteins in grain, making them easy-to-digest

  • Increase bioavailability of proteins

  • Prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss

  • Reduce hypersecretion of pancreatic enzymes

  • Maximize digestion which reduces the need for the body to centralize its reserves to digest food

Already Soaked and Fermented Food Products

Although soaking is relatively easy to do, it does require a little more time when it comes to meal planning. In the mean time as you transition to adding this important step into your food preparation, there a few reputable companies that go through the trouble for you.
Sprouted Flour:

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/bak...ted-flour.html
http://www.creatingheaven.net/eeproducts/eesfc/
http://www.organicsproutedflour.net/recipes.html
http://www.essentialeating.com/


Sprouted breads:

http://www.foodforlife.com/
http://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com/

Nuts and Nut Butters:

http://livingnutz.com/
http://www.bluemountainorganics.com/...r-than-roasted

Instructions for soaking your grains, beans, nuts and seeds

Grains, beans nuts and seeds all require different soak times and different mediums. It's not too difficult to remember once you get the hang of it. These detailed instructions should help you get started with relative ease. Instructions for soaking grains, beans, nuts and seeds.