We prepare various food items such as pulses, grains, and nuts by soaking them overnight or for 7-8 hours. Soaking them can enhance the boiling process for better results. However, many people are unaware of the other advantages of soaking. It is crucial to soak grains and pulses for easy digestion and sprouting. These food items naturally contain phytic acid, which can cause digestive problems if not adequately soaked or cooked. Phytic acid binds with minerals in the digestive tract, leading to a mineral deficiency if not broken down by soaking in water. Often, we tend to discard the water in which lentils and grains are soaked, which is a waste of eight essential vitamins. Nutritionists recommend using the soaked water for cooking since phytates are not removed with the soaked water, and water-soluble nutrients like Vitamin B are lost. Therefore, it is vital to sieve grains and pulses before soaking them and soak them for 2-4 hours for pulses and 8 hours for whole grains. It is not a good practice to discard the soaked water as it can be consumed for cooking. News18 Tamil Nadu offers the latest and breaking news, including global and local news. You can find News18 Tamil Nadu TV on various cable and DTH networks.
We cook many food items like pulses, grains, nuts etc. after soaking them overnight or for 7-8 hours. Everyone knows that only soaking them normally will make them boil better.
But beyond that, not many people know what the other benefits of soaking are. Grains and pulses are digestible only if they are well soaked or cooked after sprouting. Nuts, legumes, and grains naturally contain phytic acid. If these are cooked and eaten without soaking, this phytic acid binds with the minerals in our digestive tract and causes digestive problems.
This can cause our intestines to lose the ability to absorb minerals. Finally, the body becomes deficient in minerals. By soaking in water, this phytic acid is broken down for better digestion. At the same time, we often pour down the water in which lentils and grains are soaked.
What do nutritionists say?
Nutritionist Juhi Kapur says, “It is not a good habit to pour soaked water down. Soaked water contains 8 types of vitamins. When it is poured down, these nutrients are wasted along with it. There is an opinion that soaking water has anti-nutritional properties. But, this is completely wrong,” he said.
According to nutritional science, we can continue to use the water in which grains and pulses are soaked for cooking. The phytates in pulses are not washed away with the soaked water. At the same time, water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin B are washed away with the soaked water.
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Things to note:
- Sieve grains and pulses well before soaking them.
- Grains and pulses should be soaked for at least 2 to 4 hours.
- Whole grains need to be soaked for 8 hours.
- Do not pour the soaked water down. It can be used for cooking.
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