Phytates in Soy and Grains Block Nutrient Absorption

[Joseph Bronson]

Phosphorus in the bran of whole grains is tied up in a substance called phytic acid.  Phytic acid combines with iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc in the intestinal tract, blocking their absorption.  Whole grains also contain enzyme inhibitors that can interfere with digestion.  Traditional societies usually soak or ferment their grains before eating them,  processes that neutralize phytates and enzyme inhibitors and, in effect, predigest grains so that all their nutrients are more available.  Sprouting, overnight soaking and old-fashioned sour leavening can accomplish this important pre-digestion in our own kitchens.  Many people who allergic to grains will tolerate them well when they are prepared according to these procedures.  Proper preparation techniques also help break down complex sugars in legumes, making them more digestible.  Soy protein isolates are high in mineral blocking phytates, thyroid-depressing phytoestrogens and potent enzyme inhibitors that depress growth.  You DO NOT want to eat tofu or drink soy milk.  Cultured soybean products, such as miso, are a good source of enzyme rich foods, as the phytic acied and enzyme inhibitors are neutralized by the culturing process.  

[Robert Frisbee]

This reminds me of Montezuma's Revenge when the Old world was introduced with Maize. They missed the part where the American natives were putting pot ash into the food. The Ash contained Lime which made the Vitamin B3 available to be absorbed by the Body. the Europeans missed that step and when it became a major source of sustenance people started suffering from a B3 Deficiency called Pellagra. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellagra for more info.

I got this tidbit of info from watching Alton Brown. Handy guy; not just the how of food preparation, but also the why and how it came about.

[Victoria Pich]

This makes a lot of sense. I have found that many grains do not agree with me - when I eat them I get arthritis symptoms, sometimes so bad that a finger won't bend (Bad for a violist!). I have found this to be especially true of wheat and rye. I will try sprouting them. Could you tell more about sour leavening? Re: soaking, do you soak overnight before eating in a cereal, such as making muesli that way, adding nuts etc?

I couldn't agree more on soy.  And soy is one product that is usually genetically modified. Even if you buy organic, how can you be sure that it hasn't been contaminated by a neighbor's GMO soy? And if it isn't organic, it is most likely roundup-ready, which means you are eating roundup, which has been clearly linked to lymphoma.