A friend of mine recently had a blood test for mineral deficiency, and it turns out that she’s deficient in vitamin b12. This surprised me because she has an incredibly healthy diet. But what the naturopath told her completely took me by surprise. She was told that the oatmeal she was eating each morning was possibly blocking the production of Vitamin b12 in her body!
You must soak oats for several hours before you eat them
It’s really, really important to soak your oats for several hours before you eat them, whether or not you end up cooking them. Somehow this knowledge of having to soak oats got lost about the same time fast food came in. I guess we all just got a bit lazy and we didn’t understand why we were soaking them in the first place.
Ever since people first started eating oats, they either soaked or fermented them first. And when oats were first packaged and sold in grocery stores, there were even soaking instructions on the box. You never see that anymore.
Why oats need to be soaked
Here’s an extract from Nourishing Traditions which explains the reason why oats need to be soaked better than I could -
I see a lot of conversation in acne forums about grains and how grains can make the skin a lot worse. It kind of makes a lot of sense to me now. A diet high in unsoaked or unfermentated grains can in fact lead to mineral deficiency and irritable bowel syndrome so it’s no wonder that our skin is better once we stop eating them. And lets be realistic – who here soaks and ferments all their grains? Not me.
Interestingly, the Body Ecology Diet only allows for a small number of grains, and recommends soaking the grains before eating or cooking them. And since that book is all about cleaning out the colon and improving the digestive system, it just proves again how important it is to soak grains, or at least your oats before you eat them.
So from now on, I’m going to soak my oats in water each night before I go to bed!
67 responses ↓
Ok, so what about the quick 1 minute oats? The label doesn’t say anything about being fermented or processed…so I should assume it’s not?
Yep, even quick oats need to be soaked. It’s strange how that stopped writing it on the box. It is hard to remember each night but I’m trying!
Good point, Fran!
Even birds don’t eat grains raw. They simply soak them by using their saliva.
The grain needs to be soak to grow, to sprout, that is why it need a moisture ( moist ground )
By soaking , you are :
- reducing inhibitors ( as you mentioned)
- reducing ACIDITY of the grain!
- adding the enzymatic force
I always soak my grains ( whole -not cuts, always raw grain). Then I sprout it occasionally ( if the grain does not sprout it is not raw ).
I love to blend my grain : simply add 1/2 cup of your soaked grain to 3 X as much water and blend. Add blueberries, banana, whatever you like and enjoy this easy to digest ( blender pre-digested it for you already ! ) smoothie.
Great for skin/hair, super healthy!
Cheers, beautiful people!
Jen Garter!
I don’t really know what ‘quick 1 minute oats are. Why are they 1 minute -what I mean by that –> what do they say that it does, what is the full ingredient list ?
Marta,
There’s nothing special about the 1-minute oats. The only ingredient is oats. They’ve been ground to smaller pieces, so they cook faster.
I lovvvvvvee this website! I seriously learn something new everyday, it’s great.
I’ve never heard of this before-I emailed this to my naturopath and she said there is some truth to it, especially if you eat oatmeal like every day. She also said that you don’t have to soak quinoa, as it doesn’t have the same effect.
So Fran, what about other grains-do you have to soak things like couscous and rice as well? What about when baking with oatmeal?
i’ve never heard this before either. i eat instant oatmeal almost every day for breakfast. i usually just empty a packet into a mug, add enough water to cover, and cook in the microwave for 45 seconds. i guess this isn’t healthy, but with mice in the house, i can’t be leaving my oatmeal soaking on the counter overnight =/
Jill – All grains should be soaked or sprouted – I posted about this few comments above.
They should be organic, raw, soaked and if you wish to add additional kick;-) – sprouted!
Estella – all this packaged oats are somehow processed – if they rolled- that’s what happened to this marvelous grain. This means the oils of the grain were exposed ( light, oxygen, maybe some heat..) and it means they are easy to go rancid, if they are not rancid already ( probably are).
Cheers!
So, does this apply to the oats we find in breads and cereals or just the raw stuff?
Hi Fran,
Do you think quinoa grains need to be soaked? What about quinoa flakes? I’ve removed gluten from my diet so I’m eating more quinoa, including quinoa flakes which cooks just like cream of wheat (but much more nutritious!).
By the way, so far my skin is SO MUCH less itchy and inflamed and I rarely get cystic acne. I suspect part of my cystic acne is hormonal, but most of it was the gluten intolerance.
I love your website – I get so excited when you have a new post.
Nevermind, I just read the comments above and got my answer. for some reason my browser (Safari) is not letting my edit my comment even though I still have 1 minute and 15 seconds left =P
Really it’s good to soak all grains for 8-24 hours before eating them. This makes them much easier to digest.
Ashley- The house I’m living in at the moment has a cat, so I put a plate over the oats at night so the cat (or any mice!) won’t eat them.
Very interesting, I always thought I was being a good person by eating oats at all (even though I love them).
Hey Fran, thanks heaps for this info. Being vegie, it’s really important by body is not blocking the uptake of B12. I might go back to the days of having some Bircher meusli soaking overnight in the fridge….
Yes, quinoa needs to be washed and soaked to remove the “saponin” coating that protects the grain. As for oats, “hulless” are the type that are raw and able to be sprouted. Whole oat grains or “grouts” cannot be sprouted.
yep, Adam, hulless, you’re right.
Hey Fran!
Is it alright to cook the oats in the same water that they’ve been soaked in?
It’s much better to rinse them first
Okay, last night I soaked/fermented some old-fashioned rolled oats. This morning, I poured out the water, rinsed the oats a few times, and then ate them as they were. Was this a bad idea? Should I have cooked them? :/
Jess, nope what you did is fine
I just wanted to ask if you can soak your rolled oats overnight in the fridge or do you have to soak the oats at room temperature for fermentation? Never heard of having to rinse them either…
Fran, thank you very much for your reply. I feel so relieved now haha.
Fran
Are all rolled oats processed, even organic ones?
Can the soaked oats be put in the fridge overnight?
Virginia, yes they are processed. Oat groats aren’t. Yep, they sure can be put in the fridge
Thanks, Fran. Last night I soaked a quarter cup of oats with equal water and put about a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in it. The taste of the Vinegar remained after rinsing but I didn’t mind this.
My question is: Is it alright to use Apple Cider Vinegar
and is one teaspoon of vinegar enough to ferment the oats?
Try using natural yogurt or lemon juice instead, it won’t leave the after taste.
Fran, last night I used natural yoghurt instead of cider vinegar as you suggested. Tastes much better, thank you.
In the morning, after I drain the oats, I flush it with more water. Is this necessary ?
It’s better that way Virginia but not necessary.
Fran, I have been cooking gluten free breads (Wholemeal Buckwheat Bread and Carrot & Raisin Quinoa Bread) from the susanjanemurray.com. site. I soaked the Buckwheat grains, sunflower seeds and millet flakes from the first recipe overnight and I did the same with the Quinoa grains and Quinoa flakes from the second recipe. The Quinoa grains and Buckwheat grains totally soaked up the water and the Quinoa and Millet flakes soaked up most of the water. So I’m wondering if there is any point in soaking them.
Hey virginia, yeah it’s still a good idea to soak them
Thanks Fran, I thought the idea was to throw out the water the grains were soaked in which is why I thought it defeated the purpose when the grains totally absorbed the water. I guess the job is done as long as the grains are soaked.
Fran, when you say its good to soak the oats for 8-24 hours before eating them, how do I apply this to Quaker Oats (the Maple and Brown sugar flavor)?
Also, I eat my oats cooked in milk. So if I soak the oats in water, won’t the flavoring all go away in the water?
I am really confused about how I should go about it.
While soaking is in general a good idea, it does depend more on the grain. Phytic acid does not completely block mineral absorption, if it did, then birds, other animals, including humans, would drop dead.
When oats have been cooked, or milled into flour, their phytate content will typically fall into a range of approximately 2-7 milligrams per gram. I’ve seen studies in which the absorption of minerals like zinc and copper-given a phytic acid level of 4 milligrams per gram in the grain or legume-falls into the general range of 10-30%. When virtually all of the phytic acid is removed from the grain or legume, this range will increase for zinc into the area of 25-40% but will remain essentially unchanged for copper.
While soaking can have some impact on the phytic acid found in oats and can lower this amount somewhat, it cannot remove as much phytic acid from the oats as was accomplished in these scientific research studies.
As a result, I do not believe you would be able to increase the availability of minerals from your oats by a very large amount by soaking them overnight.
In this context, it is also important to remember that phytic acid is often a plant’s key storage form for the mineral phosphorus and for a nutrient called inositol. These nutrient components of phytic acid are potentially health supportive substances.
[...] a little water with a little whey from the yogurt (for why this is extremely important to do, read this). Finally, I sprinkle some cocoa nibs on top for a little [...]
Hello
Completly of track question…but is it good to eat oatmeal at night??
Hey Anna, yep! Cooked oatmeal is good for you.
Hi Fran,
I’ve been soaking brown basmati rice in water with about 1/2 -3/4 tsp baking soda overnight, then in the morning rinsing the rice, putting in fresh water and about 1/2 tsp baking soda. Then I rinse really good before cooking. I figured since people use baking soda water for acid indigestion, that maybe baking soda would help get rid of the phytic acid in the rice. Do you think this would work?
So, question: To drink the soaking water, or not? I’ve been soaking stuff and drinking the water, thinking it must have extra nutrients in it. Or am I sucking down phytates and sabotaging my nutritional efforts?!
Thanks, if anyone knows…
Can you soak the oats in milk in the fridge overnight? Because then I want to blend them and put them in an omlette.
Hi Fran,
Read somewhere that phytic acid found in oats is said to protect against some cancers. By ‘breaking down’ the phytic acid by soaking, are we losing the goodness of it?
Hi – was there a reply to Jennifer’s question? I’m too interested if the soaked water has ant goodness to it or if it should be discarded. I must be honest here, when I soak whole rolled oats the water becomes gloopy and sticky, and even when I try to drain it off ysing the water tap through a collander, i can’t really get rid of it – is this normal? Is there a better way than just adding water overnight that makes it easier to strain off the residue the next day?
Great site, thanks so much for your help!!
I just found some helpful info at this “diagnose me” website, addressing concerns over phytates in various whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
There is a plus side to ingesting those phytates. Yes, they are enzyme inhibitors, but also: They can bind to excess minerals in our system. This is a valuable service, considering that excess iron generates free radicals in our bodies.
Phytates also act as antioxidents. Conclusion: It might be good to soak some grains and nuts, as this will break down phytates, allowing for easier digestion. This breakdown of phytates will also occur in breads (due to the yeast/fermentation process), and when grains, seeds, or nuts are toasted or cooked. However: It might also be good to eat some nuts and seeds without the soaking process, just plain and raw. Yes, there will be phytates in such foods. But they will act as antioxidents, and they will bind up any excess minerals.
As for drinking the soaking liquid: It will contain those extra phytates one may not wish to ingest! Since the phytates bind with excess iron in the system, folks with an abundance of iron shouldn’t have a problem with that, but anemia-prone people better skip drinking that soaking liquid.
Also, I hadn’t noticed any funky soak water when using organic, old-fashioned coarse oats… (Or, maybe it’s a weird reaction from using certain well waters or something like that?)
James,
I also had a gummy liquid that wouldn’t go away even after i kept rinsing the oats over and over! I wonder why this is? Also, did your rolled oats seem to be white and powdery before u soaked them?
GASP! wow! who knew?? I just finished eating some oats in yogurt and i became curious if oats had anything to do with skin and acne, so out of sheer luck i googled it and found this. NOO! I always find setbacks in my ‘’supposedly healthy diet”…..
[...] day before baking is to soak the oats in filtered water- this makes the oats more digestible and nutritious. This is because the phytic acid in the outer layers of the oats can combine with other vitamins [...]
[...] my oats for porridge religiously now (see: this article by Fran) Maybe the phytic acid was blocking my body’s absorption of nutrients like zinc and B [...]
So is flax meal a grain? I have been adding it to my smoothies every morning shoudl I be soaking this? if so How do you do it since its a powder/fine like already ground?
Hello,
I am attempting a vegetarian almost vegan diet and worry about vitamin B12 deficiency. Does soaking/sprouting nuts/grains provide bacteria that has vitamin B12 in it? I am hearing controversial information that is frustrating and I just want to know what is what. The attempt at a Vegetarian diet is for health reasons from what I read in the China Study and about Dr. Gerson and McDougal and the benefits – but I want to be sure I am not deficient in critical vitamins and minerals. Thank you
Hi HollyKasper, to be honest on a vegan diet it’s VERY difficult to get B12. Some nutritionists say fermented veggies and algae like spirulina give you it but others say those foods don’t actually top you up. I take an oral B12 supplement every day and have noticed a big difference in my energy levels since I’ve been taking it.
Hello Fran,
Thank you very much for your response. I am going to start soaking my grains and will try fermented veggies like you reccomended and also a B12 supplement. I have read that it is hard to find bioavailable forms of oral B12. Is that true? What kind do you take? Do you think that the soaked nuts, grains, beans, etc. help to make it more bioavailable for your body (by not blocking the body from absorbing the nutrients in foods as I read above)? Are you vegetarian/vegan? Any other reccomendations? If not – do you reccomende having raw/organic animal products once and a while for this reason? I am going crazy reading contradictory information so thank you for your help
[...] start off by soaking your oatmeal. Here’s a short helpful article about why it’s important to soak oatmeal. And as a bonus, here’s a wonderful post from one of [...]
Regarding the person above citing China Study, there was a recent post on “Raw food S.O.S.”
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/china-fiction.html that made an attempt to sort through the data.
They also wrote a post on raw food diets: ‘Raw Gone Wrong: When the Honeymoon is Over’
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/02/03/raw-gone-wrong-when-the-honeymoon-is-over/
I just started soaking my oats, should i add my vanilla extract before or after the soaking process (for taste) i assumed the oats would absorb the flavor?
Something I have always wondered is how long do they stay good for after they have been soaked? I usually get concerned after 2-3 days and chuck them. Anyone know? I am sure it depends on what grain or bean we are talking about too.
About how long they keep: If you’ve started with clean (sterile even) containers, you can rinse them after the first day’s soaking. Continue to rinse them once daily; they can sprout some and be eaten at any point in the next few days. Or refrigerate them to eat at any point for the next week.
One thing that doesn’t work: To reuse your sprouting container to start more, without cleaning it well. Something about sprouting things; the grains/seeds are very prone to certain bacteria. (Hence the common recalls on sprouts.) A splash of bleach-water and a good rinse will usually do the trick.
I have a muesli recipe that calls for everything being soaked in 100% all natural pineapple juice for 10 minutes before eating. Will this have the same effect as soaking them with water overnight? Or should the oats or even the whole mixture be soaked overnight in water then rinsed and then prepared with the the pineapple juice?
Also, I have noticed an increase in gas and bloating when I started eating the muesli, will soaking help with this?
[...] reading the comments (mainly this article) on Amanda’s recent post – I was a little hesitant to keep using raw oats. But I just [...]
My friend said I should soak my oatmeal in water and a pinch of salt to break down the toxins in the oatmeal. Is this correct? If so should I still add lemon juice and rinse in the morning
Quinoa seeds are coated with saponins, which are “mildly toxic” according to Wiki. They also are bitter. It’s important to wash the seeds before cooking. I put them in a bowl of water and rub the seeds between my fingers, which is what our Peruvian guides taught us.
Hi thanks for this article. I am very confused though now. I was vegetarian and had a blood test saying I was B12 deficient. I wasnt eating a lot of grains but my cereal for breakfast at that time was toasted rice (I cannot think of the other name for it) with my rice milk. Anyway I went back to meat eating because I was scared of the b12 deficiency initially felt healthier and then found meat just was not good for my digestion I put on lots of weight and felt really heavy. Anyway I am back on a primarily vegetarian diet, but I am having fish and I am following the blood type diet plan for type A which encourages lots of grains and seeds (not wheat though) and a primarily vegetarian diet. So I made up a large muesli from oats, spelt, raisins, peanuts and put it in my cereal container and when I have it on a morning I drop in a little ground linseed (just started that today). But probably for over a week now I am burping pretty much most of the time as soon as I have my first meal of the day my muesli. I hadnt soaked my muesli had not even heard of this and also many years back had acne rosacea which has gone now. I want to keep my skin clear so I am very confused about this and with so many comments I am finding it conflicting to understand what to do? also what to do with my large carton of homemade muesli now. Any suggestions for breakfasts? Thanks in advance.
Kelly, your body sounds a lot like mine. I recommend you check out Dr Mercola’s Metabolic Testing (it’s on his main site for free) which is a questionnaire. Even though I’m A+ blood type, I’m a fast oxidizer so I need high protein in my meals (as in every meal) and very low carbohydrate. As soon as I start eating grains I get bloated too.
I take a liquid B12 supplement. It’s an oral spray. I noticed a significant difference when I started taking it. My blood test before I started using it also showed that I was low in B12.
Unfortunately finding the RIGHT eating plan is such an individual thing. There are so many factors to consider. But it sounds like you’re on the way to a good start
x
Thanks Fran, thats really helpful. I will check out Mercolas metabolic testing questionnaire. I am not sure if they do a B12 supplement in the UK that is liquid, but I will check it out though.
Many blessings to you xx
[...] I have just read this article in the link bellow talk about bone loss and meniral depletions if oats were eaten without being soaked. I’ve got confused: http://www.highonhealth.org/why-its-very-important-to-soak-oats-before-you-eat-them/ [...]
I cannot believe that you are still telling everyone to soak their oats. I know you believe you have legitimate information and maybe once upon a time you did. But when you cook them correctly it take care of any problems with the oatmeal and the speculation that it inhibits certain vitamins and minerals in our bodies is totally bogus. It is JUST a theory. Grow up. The benefits far outweigh any thought you may have about bypassing minerals. That’s why they have stopped putting labels on the oatmeal products. Microwaves kills any bad organisms and make oatmeal completely safe to eat. Get a life.
Sarah, I’m sorry ..I can’t take your comment seriously when you mention “microwaves kill any bad organisms and make oatmeal safe to eat”, there is everything wrong with that statement. It’s also not about bad organisms either, it’s about phytic acid which is a completely different thing.
I have had to stop eating oats they aggravate my digestion greatly. I did some dowsing over my food and it seems so much more accurate than the blood type diet. Surprised, but the evidence in my body is enough for me.
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