Soaking Cereals, Pulses And Nuts In Water!
Soaking cereals, pulses and nuts is a common precooking practice and it has several benefits and one notable drawback.
Benefits:
Soaking reduces certain anti nutritional factors like phytic acid, tannins and trypsin inhibitors those can inhibit and reduce the absorption of some minerals like calcium, iron and zinc available in cereals, pulses and nuts.
Soaking helps break down carbohydrates and proteins making them easier to digest.
It activates digestive enzymes like amylases and proteases.
Amylases, produced by salivary glands and pancreas help breakdown complex carbohydrates into simple sugars like maltose and glucose.
Proteases like pepsin produced in stomach and trypsin, chymotrypsin produced in pancreas (trypsin, chymotrypsin), and lysosomal proteases produced in cells help breakdown complex protein molecules into smaller protein molecules and amino acids.
Water absorption during soaking softens the outer layer of grains and nuts, reducing the cooking time and makes cereals and pulses less brittle and improves taste.
It removes some undesirable flavours like bitterness from pulses and nuts and improves their taste.
Longer soaking initiates germination and improves their nutritional value, notably Vitamin C and further reduces anti nutritional factors in the grains and also enhances enzymatic activity that improves digestibility of the grains.
It helps remove contaminants like dirt, debris, and pesticide residues, making them safer to consume.
Discarding the soaking water helps remove anti nutrients and impurities.
Drawback:
Some water soluble vitamins like the B vitamins and C and certain minerals may be leached into the discarded water and are lost in soaking.
Conclusion:
Overall, soaking is a beneficial practice that enhances the usability and nutritional value of cereals, pulses, and nuts, although some nutrient loss is also incurred in throwing away the soaking water.
Also read the article ’Basics Of Nutrition’ on this website.
