Healthy powerhouses
This trick makes nuts easier to digest
Nuts are valuable suppliers of nutrients
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Nuts are one of the most valuable foods. There are several reasons to use the delicious superfood. With a trick, almonds, walnuts, cashews and hazelnuts become even more digestible.
It is not without reason that the German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends preventive nutrition a handful of nuts (25 grams) daily to eat. Numerous experts and studies repeatedly point out the healthy effects of nuts on our body.
Nuts – the little miracles of health
The superfood reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease, has a cholesterol-lowering effect and strengthens teeth. Nuts also have a positive influence on our brain: Hazelnuts in particular contain a lot of vitamin E, which protects the cells from premature aging. The lecithin contained in the nuts also improves nerve and brain performance. The snack is also useful for people with insomnia: nuts stimulate melatonin production in the body, which is essential for a peaceful and deep sleep.
Soaking nuts: what’s the point?
It is no longer a secret that nuts are true miracles of health – but the way they are consumed is. So that the valuable minerals and vitamins can really develop, there is a trick to make the nuts even healthier. Nutritionists know: If you soak nuts and seeds before consumption, you can make them easier to digest in no time.
Nuts are naturally preserved – that is, they are preserved through a specific treatment – and protected by a shell. Certain plant substances (e.g. phytic acid) inhibit their growth. If we eat nuts, we automatically consume these substances. This makes our digestion more difficult and prevents the absorption of minerals and trace elements, so that we can no longer use these vital substances. Instead, they are excreted in the stool – bound to the phytic acid. In the long term, this should lead to a mineral deficiency. So far, however, there is no study that scientifically substantiates this thesis.
If you use nuts frequently, but then struggle with digestive problems, you can give soaking nuts a try.
Soak nuts – this is how it works
- Put the nuts in a bowl and add enough salted water to cover the nuts well (about ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt per 0.5 liter of water).
- Let the nuts soak for 8 to 12 hours.
- Pour off the water using a sieve and rinse the nuts under running water.
- You can now eat the nuts immediately.
Tip: With the exception of cashew nuts, which should be soaked for a maximum of four hours, it does not matter whether the nuts, such as the healthy walnuts, hazelnuts or nutritious macadamia nuts, stay in the water for ten or twenty hours.
Sources used: dge.de, focus.de