At some point, you may have heard or read the recommendation to soak your almonds overnight to improve their nutritional benefits, as well as decrease any inherent toxicity.
The practice of soaking nuts, grains and seeds dates back many centuries.
Depending on the length of time you soak the food in question, you can end up with exceptionally healthy sprouted (germinated) nuts, seeds and grains.
This process of germination produces vitamin C, increases the vitamin B content, dramatically increases the carotene content, and – most importantly – neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. In addition to off-setting the effects of the enzyme inhibitors, sprouting also produces several enzymes that aid in digestion. Oh, and sprouting inactivates aflatoxins – known carcinogens found in grains.
Think it’s worth your while to soak your grains, seeds and nuts?! I’d say so!
It’s certainly not a difficult endeavor to sprout grains and seeds. If full germination is the goal, then only the length of time will vary with the size and nature of the seeds in question.
However, even overnight soaking unlocks many nutritional benefits of the nuts and seeds that you wouldn’t otherwise experience.
Let’s talk about almonds since they’re such a powerhouse of nutrition – high in essential fatty acids, protein and vital minerals & vitamins.
To soak almonds, it’s pretty simple. Most recommend doing this overnight. Start with raw nuts. If you can, choose organic and unpasteurized nuts. Rinse the nuts first. Then fill a glass bowl or jar (e.g. mason jar) with 1/3 almonds. Add filtered or distilled water to the top. Cover with a loosely fitting, breathable cloth or mesh screen. Keep at room temperature. Some recommend that you add sea salt, others don’t. I haven’t chosen to use sea salt yet.
In the morning (or 8-10 hours later), rinse the nuts well. You can consume them that day for a nutritionally enhanced and less toxic nut… or you can continue to rinse the nuts every 3 hours or so, and in approximately 3-4 days, you’ll have some sprouted nuts! Yay!
(The sprouts just look like tiny white appendages, about 1/8 inch long.)
No time to fully germinate those nuts? No problem… there are still many benefits of simply soaking overnight.
Almonds are difficult to digest because of the aforementioned enzyme-inhibitors contained in their brown coating. These enzyme inhibitors protect the nut or seed during its growth. Soaking almonds overnight removes these toxic enzyme inhibitors and unlocks massive, highly beneficial enzymatic activity… easing digestion and maximizing nutrient absorption and assimilation.
Soaking breaks down gluten, again making digestion much easier.
As mentioned, phytic acid is reduced. This is a very good thing since phytic acid inhibits the absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.
You can see why many nutrition experts warn you that *not* soaking your almonds before consumption can actually be harmful to your health. As harmful as a meal of fake food and pop from the drive-through? Not likely! But SO easy to correct, in this case. (Nice try, though, McFly!)
Almonds are considered a “brain tonic”. They are rich in essential fats, enhancing memory and mental function. One of the long-held popular benefits of soaking almonds in water overnight is that eating 4-6 soaked almonds every morning helps enhance your memory.
Many health experts and traditional cultures recommend eating approximately one almond per every 10 pounds of body weight each morning. It balances our blood sugar/insulin, sets the hydrochloric acid balance in our stomachs after our nightly fast, and provides a super healthy dose of protein and healthy fats to set our metabolism, mental function, physical performance, energy, and mood regulation in the right direction for the rest of the day.
(Another belief that may or may not interest you is that soaking almonds in MILK overnight – clean sources only, please – enhances libido… even cases of frigidity.)
“Good morning, honey! Let’s have some almonds!!” : )
Whether you simply soak overnight, or fully germinate and sprout your seeds and nuts, this is a simple step that is worth taking the few extra minutes for. Your health is definitely worth it!
