Okay, so I’ve been seeing a lot of stuff online about phytic acid in foods, especially in oatmeal, which I eat like, every single day. Apparently, it’s supposed to be this “anti-nutrient” that blocks your body from absorbing good stuff like iron and zinc. That freaked me out a little, so I decided to do a little experiment on my own.
My Oatmeal Experiment
First, I grabbed my usual bag of rolled oats – nothing fancy, just the regular kind. I usually just microwave it with water, but this time, I wanted to see if I could reduce the phytic acid.
I remembered reading somewhere that soaking oats overnight can help, so that’s what I did. I measured out a cup of oats and put them in a bowl.
- Added about two cups of warm water.
- Squeezed in a bit of lemon juice – I read that acidic stuff helps break down the phytic acid.
- Stirred it all up.
- Covered the bowl with a clean cloth.
- Left it on the counter overnight.
The next morning, the oats were all plump and soft. I drained the soaking water – it looked a little cloudy, which I guess is a good sign? Then, I cooked the oats on the stovetop with some fresh water until they were nice and creamy.
Did it work?
Honestly, I don’t have any fancy lab equipment to measure the phytic acid levels. But, my stomach felt fine – no weirdness or anything. And, I’ve been doing this soaking thing for a couple of weeks now, I do have a blood check every 3 months due to some health issues, will see if soaking oatmeal overnight does make a difference.
I’m not a scientist or anything, just a regular guy trying to eat healthy. This whole phytic acid thing is a bit confusing, but soaking the oats seems like an easy enough step to take, just in case. It’s become part of my routine now, and I actually kind of like the texture of the soaked oats better – they’re a bit softer and creamier.
