Phytic acid prevents mineral absorption resulting in rickets and osteoporosis
High-phytate foods: The bran portion in whole wheat, grains, nuts and seeds contain phytic acid molecule (unavailable phosphorous) that readily bind with other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, making them unavailable as well.
Phytic acid occurs in nuts and seeds in two forms—phytic acid and phytic acid salts [Reddy, NR and Sathe, SK (Eds.) Food Phytates. CRC Press, 2001]. Both are generally referred to as “phytates.” Together, these two compounds make up the total percentage of phytates reported in various foods. However, they do not possess the same chelating power. So the chelating effect of the phytates in corn, wheat, or soy are not the same as those in coconut. You cannot predict the chelating effect based on total phytate content alone.
The solution is to eat these foods with Vitamin A, C and D3 or soak them first for 24hrs (with 10 percent whole rye flour) and boil them well.
Vitamin C reduces the iron and perhaps other mineral losses from phytic acid. Vitamin D can mitigate the harmful effects of phytates. Calcium (think raw milk, raw cheese, yogurt, and kefir) balances out the negative effects of phytates.
Coconut and yams or sweet potatoes do not have phytic acid and do not need to be soaked for 24hrs.
IRISH AND SCOTTISH OATMEAL
Commercial oats in the U.S. are heat treated to about 200o F for four or five hours, to prevent rancidity—oats are rich in polyunsaturated oils that can go rancid within three months, especially at warm temperatures, and oats are harvested only once a year. Heat treatment kills enzymes that accelerate oxidation and helps prevent a bitter taste, although it surely damages the fragile polyunsaturated oils as well.
While Irish and Scottish oatmeal is said to be “unheated,” this is not exactly true; these oats are also heat treated —for the same reasons, to minimize rancidity—but usually at lower temperatures. McCann’s Irish steel cut oats are heated to 113-118o F but Hamlyn’s heats to 212o F. Truly raw rolled oats are available from www.rawguru.com.
The Alford brand, available only in the U.K., is kiln dried for four hours according to their website www.oatmealofalford.com; they do not provide temperatures.
Hulless oats that have not been heat treated are available from www.sproutpeople.com; these can be ground or rolled at home before soaking and preparation as oat meal.
Coconut
The mineral-binding effect of the phytates in coconut is essentially nonexistent. It is as if coconut has no phytic acid at all. In a study published in 2002, researchers tested the mineral binding capacity of a variety of bakery products made with coconut f lour. Mineral availability was determined by simulating conditions that prevail in the small intestine and colon. The researchers concluded that “coconut flour has little or no effect on mineral availability.” (Trinidad, TP and others. The effect of coconut flour on mineral availability from coconut flour supplemented foods. Philippine Journal of Nutrition 2002;49:48-57). In other words, coconut flour did not bind to the minerals. Therefore, soaking or other phytic acid-neutralizing processes are completely unnecessary.
Soaking has been suggested as a means to reduce the phytic acid content in grains and nuts. Some suggest coconut flour should also be soaked. To soak coconut flour doesn’t make any sense. The coconut meat from which the flour is made, is naturally soaked in water its entire life (12 months) as it is growing on the tree. To remove the meat from the coconut and soak it again is totally redundant. After the coconut meat has been dried and ground into flour, soaking it would ruin the flour and make it unusable. You should never soak coconut flour.
FIGURE 1: FOOD SOURCES OF PHYTIC ACID
As a percentage of dry weight
| FOOD | MINIMUM | MAXIMUM |
| Sesame seed flour | 5.36 | 5.36 |
| Brazil nuts | 1.97 | 6.34 |
| Almonds | 1.35 | 3.22 |
| Tofu | 1.46 | 2.90 |
| Linseed | 2.15 | 2.78 |
| Oat meal | 0.89 | 2.40 |
| Beans, pinto | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Soy protein concentrate | 1.24 | 2.17 |
| Soybeans | 1.00 | 2.22 |
| Corn | 0.75 | 2.22 |
| Peanuts | 1.05 | 1.76 |
| Wheat flour | 0.25 | 1.37 |
| Wheat | 0.39 | 1.35 |
| Soy beverage | 1.24 | 1.24 |
| Oats | 0.42 | 1.16 |
| Wheat germ | 0.08 | 1.14 |
| Whole wheat bread | 0.43 | 1.05 |
| Brown rice | 0.84 | 0.99 |
| Polished rice | 0.14 | 0.60 |
| Chickpeas | 0.56 | 0.56 |
| Lentils | 0.44 | 0.50 |
FIGURE 2: PHYTIC ACID LEVELS8
In milligrams per 100 grams of dry weight
| Brazil nuts | 1719 |
| Cocoa powder | 1684-1796 |
| Brown rice | 12509 |
| Oat flakes | 1174 |
| Almond | 1138 – 1400 |
| Walnut | 982 |
| Peanut roasted | 952 |
| Peanut ungerminated | 821 |
| Lentils | 779 |
| Peanut germinated | 610 |
| Hazel nuts | 648 – 1000 |
| Wild rice flour | 634 – 752.5 |
| Yam meal | 637 |
| Refried beans | 622 |
| Corn tortillas | 448 |
| Coconut | 357 |
| Corn | 367 |
| Entire coconut meat | 270 |
| White flour | 258 |
| White flour tortillas | 123 |
| Polished rice | 11.5 – 66 |
| Strawberries | 12 |
FIGURE 3: QUINOA PHYTATE REDUCTION34
| PROCESS | PHYTATE REDUCTION |
| Cooked for 25 minutes at 212 degrees F | 15-20 percent |
| Soaked for 12-14 hours at 68 degrees F, then cooked | 60-77 percent |
| Fermented with whey 16-18 hours at 86 degrees F, then cooked | 82-88 percent |
| Soaked 12-14 hours, germinated 30 hours, lacto-fermented 16-18 hours, then cooked at 212 degrees F for 25 minutes | 97-98 percent |
FIGURE 4: PHYTATE41
As Percentage of Dry Weight
| Sesame seeds dehulled | 5.36 |
| 100% Wheat bran cereal | 3.29 |
| Soy beans | 1.00 – 2.22 |
| Pinto beans | 0.60 – 2.38 |
| Navy beans | 0.74 – 1.78 |
| Parboiled brown rice | 1.60 |
| Oats | 1.37 |
| Peanuts | 1.05 – 1.76 |
| Barley | 1.19 |
| Coconut meal | 1.17 |
| Whole corn | 1.05 |
| Rye | 1.01 |
| Wheat flour | 0.96 |
| Brown rice | 0.84 – 0.94 |
| Chickpeas | 0.28 – 1.26 |
| Lentils | 0.27 – 1.05 |
| Milled (white) rice | 0.2 |
FIGURE 5: BREAD PHYTATES42
As Percentage of Weight
| Cornbread | 1.36 |
| Whole wheat bread | 0.43-1.05 |
| Wheat bran muffin | 0.77-1.27 |
| Popped corn | 0.6 |
| Rye | 0.41 |
| Pumpernickel | 0.16 |
| White bread | 0.03- .23 |
| French bread | 0.03 |
| Sourdough rye | 0.03 |
| Soured buckwheat | 0.03 |
PREPARATION OF BROWN RICE
1. Soak brown rice in dechlorinated water for 24 hours at room temperature without changing the water. Reserve 10% of the soaking liquid (should keep for a long time in the fridge). Discard the rest of the soaking liquid; cook the rice in fresh water.
2. The next time you make brown rice, use the same procedure as above, but add the soaking liquid you reserved from the last batch to the rest of the soaking water.
3. Repeat the cycle. The process will gradually improve until 96% or more of the phytic acid is degraded at 24 hours.
Note: We should not eat bran if the soil is healthy.
FIGURE 7: NUTRIENTS IN GRAINS AND OTHER FOODS67
In milligrams per 100 grams.
| Calcium | Phosphorus | Iron | Calories | |
| Whole grain wheat flour | 34 | 346 | 3.9 | 339 |
| Unenriched white flour | 15 | 108 | 1.2 | 364 |
| White rice | 9 | 108 | 0.4 | 366 |
| Milled rice | 10-30 | 80-150 | .2-2.8 | 349-373 |
| Brown rice | 10-50 | 170-430 | .2-5.2 | 363-385 |
| Blue corn mush (Navajo) | 96 | 39 | 2.9 | 54 |
| Acorn stew | 62 | 14 | 1 | 95 |
| Milk | 169 | 117 | 0.1 | 97 |
| Free range buffalo steak | 4 | 246 | 3.8 | 146 |
| Cheese, mozarella | 505 | 354 | 0.4 | 300 |