Are calcium and magnesium lost by soaking beans?
In a previous discussion, soaking beans in salted water prior to cooking was a suggestion to soften skins. Does this result in less calcium and magnesium content of the cooked beans?
Best Answer
See Common Bean Myths from Captious for a survey of several bean related issues. They report that Cook's Illustrated has indicated (emphasis added):
[...] during soaking many nutrients leach out of the beans, more so with a quick soak (presumably due to the brief heat) than with a long cold soak. Apparently heat breaks down cell membranes within the beans, and increases the solubility of water-soluble nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. As a result, quick soaking tends to leach somewhat more of the nutrients out of the beans than do slow soaking methods.
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Do you lose nutrients soaking beans?
Most studies show that soaking beans for a moderate amount of time, such as 12 hours, increases their overall nutritional value. Soaking legumes for longer than this may result in a greater loss of nutrients.What does soaking bean do?
Soaking your beans helps them cook faster and more evenly, and it can also make them easier to digest. If you add salt to the soaking water (in other words, make a brine), your beans will cook even faster; the salt helps break down their skins.How do you remove phytic acid from beans?
Soak the Beans Soaking beans helps eliminate some of the phytic acid. To maximize the amount of phytic acid lost, soak beans for a minimum of 12 hours, suggests the Weston A. Price Foundation. Drain and rinse the beans several times during soaking to get rid of the phytic acid that has leached into the water.Why does soaking beans make them easier to digest?
Although we can't digest these specific fibers, our gut bacteria can. However, the issue is that the bacteria produce gas as a result. Thankfully, soaking your beans in water can help. Some of the indigestible fibers will leach out and transfer to the water, which leaves the remaining beans easier to digest.Never soak your beans again! 4 surprising reasons
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