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Why eating nuts that are not soaked before eating is bad for your health
Facts that few people know about.
It’s no secret that nuts are nutritious and healthy food for the body. However, it is also difficult to digest and can cause stomach discomfort. Experts say that in order to get rid of this unpleasant symptom and get the most out of eating nuts, you need to soak them before eating. We decided to look into this in more detail.
Nuts are packed with fat, protein and minerals. However, if you just buy and eat this product, the body will not be able to assimilate all the richness of the aforementioned micronutrients. The thing is that after falling from a tree, the nut goes into the so-called hibernation stage due to the deprivation of the ability to receive moisture and nutrients. Therefore, in order to come to life again after winter, the seed falls asleep.
A nut eaten at rest, which has a bitter taste, will be excreted unchanged from the body. To “awaken” the fruit, it must be placed in water. Under natural conditions, this function is performed by melted snow, once in which the seed begins to germinate in order to continue its genus.
At home, a nut soaked in water reveals all its nutrients, which were previously held back during hibernation by natural inhibitors. It is they who, when eating a nut not placed in a humid environment, cause stomach discomfort.
Water helps to neutralize them, and after eating such a fruit, which is in an active and ready to germinate phase, you will not feel heaviness. By the way, after soaking, the bitterness will also disappear, the nut will become juicy and sweet in taste.
In addition to soaking, there are other techniques for removing a nut from hibernation – these are conservation, salting, candying and heat treatment.
How to soak nuts properly?
You should take a handful of washed unroasted nuts or seeds.
Pour them with water in a suitable container.
Depending on the type of nuts, leave them there for 120 minutes, or maybe overnight. The water must be changed every 8 hours.
Drain and rinse the nuts a few more times.
Place on a towel and let them dry.
When the fruits have been soaked, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. However, if you place the nuts in a tightly closed container, you can thus extend this time to a week.
Soaking also helps in what is called a fetus check. If the nuts were stored improperly, were eaten from the inside by insects or began to rot, then if they get into a humid environment, they will simply rot.
Soaking technique and time for certain types of nuts
The most important thing in the soaking process is to monitor the temperature of the water. Do not pour boiling water over the nuts. If you process them at too high a temperature, then all the nutrients and trace elements will oxidize. Vegetable protein will also curdle, so the liquid should be at room temperature. In this case, you should not use tap water. Better to take from a filter or bottled.
In time, the nuts are soaked for at least two hours. Certain species, such as hazelnuts or almonds, cedar or walnuts, need to be soaked at least eight.
Also, do not moisturize many nuts at once. You can take a small portion, soak and eat them right away. Only fruits taken out of water have a richer taste than those lying in the refrigerator.