Today, many people avoid grains, beans, nuts, and seeds due to their inflammatory nature. Many people simply cannot tolerate conventionally-grown and prepared grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. However, by bringing back traditional wisdom into our kitchens, we modern folk may be able to enjoy these foods again.
Grains, Beans, Nuts, and Seeds in Traditional Cultures
Weston A. Price, a 20th century dentist, observed cultures without access to processed foods, and he determined that, as a consequence, these peoples had far superior health in comparison to modern Westerners. He traveled the globe and studied primitive cultures in an effort to restore knowledge lost in industrialized societies.
The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is dedicated to educating people today about how to use traditional foods and therapies to heal from the diseases of modernity, using the diet of our pre-industrialized ancestors.
The WAPF has digested Price’s work and synthesized 11 principles to help guide our dietary choices. This article is the sixth in a series to address and add context to each of the principles. The sixth principle of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s “Principles of Traditional Diets” states:
“Seeds, grains and nuts are soaked, sprouted, fermented or naturally leavened to neutralize naturally occurring anti-nutrients such as enzyme inhibitors, tannins and phytic acid.”
Traditional food preparation techniques showcased the art of neutralizing anti-nutrients: enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, lectins, oxalates, and tannins.
Anti-Nutrients: The Problem with Plants
Plant foods have a trade-off. They do contain beneficial minerals and vitamins, but those are often unavailable to us because of the so-called “anti-nutrients” also present in plants.
Enzyme inhibitors prevent foods from being digested well, which means our bodies have difficulty absorbing and assimilating nutrients. They are a low-grade poison secreted by the plant to prevent predators such as herbivores and insects from harming the plant. Enzyme inhibitors, particular protease inhibitors, are found in higher concentrations in legumes, cereal grains, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, and more.
Phytic acid can prevent the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Foods high in phytic acid include grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.
Lectins are carbohydrates that bind to proteins. The problem with these are they are difficult to digest and can bind to the walls of the digestive tract because they resist being broken down in the gut. Many auto-immune protocols eliminate lectins in an effort to lower whole-body inflammation. Lectins developed because the plant benefits if the seed is able to pass through the animal’s digestive tract intact and then plant into the ground and continue to propagate. Foods containing lectins include beans, legumes, and seeds.
Oxalates come from oxalic acid and bind with calcium, potentially preventing calcium deficiency. They are notable in contributing to the formation of kidney stones and contributing to joint pain. Leafy greens, soy foods, potatoes, beans, and lentils are significant sources of oxalates.
Tannins are a polyphenol that exists in abundance in nature. They cause damage to the gut microbiome if overconsumed due to their anti-microbial nature. They can also cause headaches. They block iron absorption and have anti-thyroid effects. They are commonly found in grape skins and seeds, tree barks, coffee beans, and herbs for tea.
Soaking, Sprouting, Fermenting: How to Properly Prepare Grains & Seeds
While plants have these substances that inhibit nutrient absorption, there are traditional techniques that minimize the anti-nutrients and turn grains, legumes, and seeds into an excellent source of minerals and B vitamins.
Traditional cultures soaked, sprouted, and fermented their grains and seeds to help the plant neutralize its own phytic acid, release its own enzymes through grinding, and minimize lectins and tannins. There’s not much that can be done for oxalates, but consuming a diet high in calcium, particularly dairy, is known to help mitigate the consequences.
Preparing Grains:
Grains are high in phytic acid, so most of their preparation revolves around minimizing phytic acid.
Grains should at the minimum be soaked 4-12 hours. To help the plant release its own phytase (that neutralizes phytic acid), the grains should be soaked in an acidic medium like vinegar, lemon juice, or yogurt / kefir. I’ve found that adding a few tablespoons of vinegar or yogurt is plenty to sour it.
For bread, sourdough bread that’s been long fermented is ideal to minimize phytic acid.
The blog Food Renegade has an excellent document with further information.
Preparing Beans:
Beans are high in phytic acid and lectins. Soaking beans 4-12 hours in an acidic medium before cooking helps break down phytic acid. Lectins can be mostly destroyed by pressure cooking or sometimes boiling. Slow cooking beans is not recommended because it does not damage lectins.
Nuts and Seeds:
Soaking and sprouting nuts and seeds makes them much easier to digest and was practiced traditionally. Soak the nuts and seeds in salt water, rinse, and dehydrate in the oven at a low temperature.
Recipes for Properly Preparing
The WAPF has a great selection of recipes showcasing how to properly prepare plant foods, and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon is a staple cookbook full of classic dishes prepared traditionally.
Additionally, you can make easy changes to your daily diet by searching for fermented grain recipes and switching to sourdough bread.
Are you making changes to how you prepare grains, beans, nuts and seeds? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.