Sprouting Grains (see full article "Phytic Acid - Friend or Foe?")

Sue has researched this; you can read her article entitled "Phytic Acid - Friend or Foe?" available through this knowledgebase - just search on phytic acid!

We find no indication in scripture to support the idea that grains were, nor should be, sprouted before they were ground into flour. On the contrary, sheaves of wheat were left in the field to dry so that they could be stored. If wheat kernels become damp and sprout, there would be no seed for the next year's crop!

We sell sprouters and seeds for sprouting but prefer to eat sprouts on sandwiches and salads.

Sprouting grains to eat as sprouts is wonderfully nutritious. It is like eating a fresh raw vegetable. Sprouts utilize the gluten for food so if anyone has a gluten intolerance they can eat a sprouted grain. There is however a teaching being promoted right now that says you have to sprout or soak grains all the time, even to make bread. The theory is that a substance known as phytic acid needs to be fermented by soaking the grains for 8-10 hours before using them.

Phytic acid binds with minerals, so some people believe it keeps them from being absorbed if the grains are not soaked. We can find no basis for these claims. First of all soaking the grains for several hours does not denature but a small portion of the phytic acid...not enough to matter. While phytic acid does bind with minerals it also binds with heavy metals, which are toxic to the body and helps remove them from the body. There is a significant amount of minerals in whole grains to more than compensate for this issue, and it inhibits the overabsorption of such minerals as iron.

Note: Do not put sprouted grains in an electric mill.

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