By soaking your oats you neutralize the phytic acid. This soaking allows the beneficial enzymes to work and increases the number of vitamins and minerals present that your body will absorb. On the plus side, the process of rolling oats removes at least part of the bran, where a large portion of the phytic acid resides.
Soaking not only softens the oats, but it also makes them more tender, quicker to cook, and easier to digest. In a side-by-side comparison, we found that unsoaked oats lacked that fluffy, creamy texture soaked oats provide.
If you soak your oats overnight at room temperature (do not put them in the fridge!) between 7-15hrs it allows the natural enzymes and other helpful organisms to begin fermenting the grain and this will neutralise a large portion of the phytic acid.
Use hot water for soaking oats since its elevated temperature promotes the breakdown of phytic acid. Whole milk works well for cooking the porridge, and is the primary cooking liquid in many traditional recipes; however, you can use additional water or a non-dairy substitute such as coconut milk if you prefer.
When you soak the oats overnight, it's almost like you're cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it's done without heat. Hence, it is more nutrient rich than cooked version. Overnight oats contain increased resistant starch.
Phytic acid can have health benefits due to its antioxidant properties. Laboratory and animal studies show that it can protect against DNA damage and cancer cell growth.
Oats contain phytic acid, which impairs the absorption of iron, zinc, calcium, and more1 , and blocks the production of digestive enzymes, making your oats much harder on your stomach. Reduction of phytic acid is just one reason that traditional cultures usually soak, sprout, or ferment their nuts, seeds, and grains.
Heating foods can destroy small amounts of phytic acid. (Note: heat can also destroy phytase and vitamin C.)
Gently rinsing soaked oats not only helps them to be less “pasty” in texture, but also helps to reduce any sour flavor that may develop as a result of the soaking process.
Simply, the oats need to be soaked in liquid for the span of 7-8 hours, before consumption. You can use milk, water, almond or coconut milk or even curd. Once they have been left overnight, they can be served the next morning with a variety of fruits and nuts.
The healthiest way to eat oatmeal is cooked in milk with fresh fruit on top. The milk helps add extra protein and makes the oats creamy. The fruits add a delicious sweetness! You can also use almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.
The good news, as Healthline points out, is that eating raw oats is perfectly fine and shouldn't put you at risk for foodborne illness. The benefits include a robust dose of the soluble fiber beta-glucan, which has been shown to help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
It's highly recommended that you use a probiotic-rich liquid like whey (the liquid on top of your plain yogurt), buttermilk, whole-milk plain yogurt, whole-milk kefir, coconut kefir, when soaking your oats. This helps break down the phytic acid the most (and it also inhibits any harmful bacteria from growing).
The addition of milk to overnight oats creates a creamy texture whereas water won't add any creaminess but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We can compensate for the lack of creaminess and flavor with other nutritious ingredients like mashed banana, plant-based yogurt, or nut butter.
If your diet lacks nutrition or you have an iron or zinc deficiency, you should reduce the amount of phytic acid you consume.
Phytase on the other hand is an enzyme also contained within the grain or nut to varying degrees and once activated serves to neutralize the phytic acid. Heating or cooking the oats reduces the phytic acid to some extent but it also kills off the phytase.
Oatmeal has anti-Inflammatory properties.
Oats boast 24 phenolic compounds — plant compounds that have antioxidant properties. One antioxidant group called avenanthramides are found almost exclusively in oats and help reduce inflammation and protect against coronary heart disease.
One major drawback is that it can limit the absorption of certain beneficial minerals in the body, while a major benefit is that the foods containing it have a large role in decreasing risks of cancer, controlling diabetes, and even possibly helping with HIV/AIDs (1).
Even though rolled oats are not raw, they have not been steamed or cooked for long enough to eliminate the phytic acid naturally present in the oat. Therefore, it is important to take certain precautions to minimize the exposure.
Overnight oats offer a range of health benefits, due to their rich fibre and protein content. They also contain a number of vitamins and minerals, some of which include manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. This makes overnight oats healthy for your gut, as well as for overall health and well-being.
There are many benefits of oat water. It provides all the great health benefits of oats with hydration. To take your oatmeal water up a notch, try soaking the raw grains (oats) in water overnight before blending them.
You only need to let the oats soak and rest in the fridge for 2 hours. But, it's ideal if you soak it overnight…hence the name overnight oats! The next morning you have a ready-to-eat, delicious, creamy bowl or jar of “oatmeal.” The consistency is like a porridge or pudding.