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Should Beans Be Soaked & Boiled?
Should Beans Be Soaked & Boiled?
20 Nov 2021
Disclaimer
Yes! Beans may be soaked to reduce phytates and enzyme inhibitors. Boiling reduces lectins.

Traditional Four-Step Method by Bean Institute is a great article with four steps: (a) Clean the beans, (b) Rinse the beans, (c) Soak the beans, and (d) Cook the beans. They offer 3 different soaking methods: Traditional Overnight Soak method (8+ hours), the Hot Soak method (4 hours) and Quick Soak method (1 hour).

(3 mins) Cook with Beans: The Four Step Method
Should Beans Be Soaked?

Soaking reduces cooking time. It also reduces phytates which help boost absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. However, I haven't seen WFPB doctors insist that we should really soak beans. If you have more information, please write to me. Thank you.

Changes in levels of enzyme inhibitors during soaking and cooking for pulses available in Canada by Shi et al, J Food Sci Technol, 2017 Mar; 54(4): 1014-22 says:

Soaking markedly decreased the activity of enzyme inhibitors.

Should Beans Be Boiled?

Yes! To make sure that lectins are destroyed. See Lectins for a details. An alternative to cooking is sprouting: Are Sprouted Beans Healthy?

Articles by Dr Greger:

Videos by Dr Greger & Dr Klaper:

(2022) How to Avoid Lectin Poisoning — Dr Greger

(6 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "How can we properly cook beans?"

(5 mins, 2019) Lectins - Should You Be Concerned? — Dr Klaper

Dr. Klaper discusses lectins, the proteins on the surface of beans, grains and other plant-based foods. Listen to his advice on how to prepare your foods and destroy lectins by cooking certain foods.

(5 mins, 2021) Sprouting Beans - Sprouting, Cooking & Removing Lectins — Dr Klaper

Video summary:

Dr. Klaper offers health tips on sprouting beans, bean cooking, and lectins in food. He tells us that sprouting legumes can be part of your healthy plant based diet. Mung bean sprouts are an excellent source of protein and fiber. be sure to fully sprout or fully cook your beans to remove lectins.

Alternatives To Boiling

After soaking, a variety of cooking techniques other than boiling may be adopted: simmering, boiling, braising, stewing, pot roasting and steaming.

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