Do almonds have high levels of phytic acid or phytates? Should we care?
Nuts and seeds as a class tend to be high in phytic acid, a substance that reduces your ability to absorb the minerals in the mineral-rich nuts and seeds. Almonds are no exception. From a 1987 review article by Harland and Oberleas, I list the phytic acid content of almonds and an assortment of other nuts and seeds below.
Almonds 1,280 mg/100 gram
Cashews 1,866 mg/100 gram
Chestnuts 47 mg/100 gram
Hazelnuts 1,620 mg/100 gram
Peanuts, toasted 933 mg/100 gram
Jif peanut butter 1,252 mg/100 gram
Black walnuts 1,977 mg/100 gram
English walnuts 760 mg/100 gram
Reducing phytic acid in nuts and seeds is tricky. Soaking is recommended by such writers as Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions. The problem is that a nut like an almond has a small surface area. It would be better to grind the nut at least slightly before soaking it. I realize that you then have nuts pieces which are not always near as interesting as the whole nut. Nonetheless, this is a morsel of advice I offer in the Phytic Acid White Paper which you can purchase here.
Read more:
Soaking grains at the Rebuild website, with food science visualizations
Soaking beans at the Rebuild website, also with food science visualizations
Phytic acid in oats at the Rebuild website
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