Why soak nuts and legumes before eating

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Today I fed my squirrel almonds, and it turned out that this nut is on the red list for her. To be more precise, all the harm lies only in the almond skin and if you soak the nut, remove the skin from it, then no squirrel will suffer.

Pre-soaking nuts, legumes and grains is an important part of a healthy diet. Soaking prepares these foods for better absorption by our digestive system.

Many novice health-conscious people, having learned about the benefits of seeds/nuts, begin to add them to their menu in large quantities and then inevitably face unpleasant sensations in the gastrointestinal tract: nausea, heaviness in the stomach, bloating, loose stools.

Nuts contain a fairly large amount of phytic acid, which serves as a kind of protection against animals/insects. Phytic acid is bad for us because it can bind many nutrients and disrupt the functioning of digestive enzymes.

In addition, raw nuts contain other substances that inhibit our digestive enzymes and thus prevent us from fully absorbing all the benefits of the product.

Water literally awakens the dormant kernels and stimulates the germination process. As a result, the inhibitors are deactivated and phytic acid is washed out.

Soaked activated nuts and seeds are absorbed by the digestive tract much better, without causing discomfort and giving us all their nutritional components to the maximum.

How to soak nuts properly

For 1 cup of nuts, you need 2 cups of water. Soak the nuts for 8-12 hours (if longer, the taste will be spoiled), and then rinse them in clean water. After soaking, the skins on the nuts come off easily (especially if you scald them with boiling water). After removing the skins, dry the nuts in a dehydrator or oven over low heat.

It is better to eat activated nuts at once within one day. If you want to stretch the intake for a couple of days, then you need to store the nuts in the refrigerator.