How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"? - PaleoHacks.com

How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2011-06-10T03:12:29Z

I've just gotten into paleo over the past 2 months or so but I'm doing a lot of reading. I just got the Primal Blueprint, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, and Deep Nutrition from Barnes and Nobles. The WAPF and Deep Nutrition advocate fermented or sprouted seeds/grains. Are ALL grains not allowed in paleo simply because paleolithic hominids would not have eaten them, or is there a biochemical poison/explanation for why they are not allowed?

Answer by jamie for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2011-06-10T03:40:00Z

I think the main thing is that most grains (save white rice and buckwheat, I believe), have anti-nutrients. The soaking/fermenting DOES help, a lot. However, they are still present. Because they are still present, they can harm the body. Even if we don't show any outward symptoms, for years even.

That said, I also came to Paleo via WAPF and still hold onto a lot of WAPF ideals and practices. I still have beans occasionally (soaked/sprouted)...I still do some soaked grains, although I always avoid gluten.

I am not a paleo nazi, and do believe there is still room for knowledge in this arena. However, I do think this is the closest thing to a diet that could potentially heal people of a lot of allergies/illnesses.

Answer by Jeff for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2011-06-10T04:04:39Z

My view on this is that it is just easier to say avoid all grains, rather than saying avoid gluten containing grains, and others are okay if they have been prepare properly i.e. soaking, fermenting, etc.

As always, Stephan Guyenet has wonderful insights...

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/03/grains-as-food-update.html

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/05/traditional-preparation-methods-improve.html

It also seems widely accepted that people with autoimmune diseases should avoid all grains.

Answer by Andy Welch for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2011-06-10T04:21:48Z

Not a clue. If you mean things like bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts... they aren't really grains that can't be eaten without processing. They are little green edible shoots that are going to become plants...and I eat them. Great source of sugarless, starchless, won't make me fat food.

Answer by Aaron B. for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2011-06-10T10:31:51Z

If you were a healthy person who grew up eating WAPF-style your entire life, with your grains always soaked or fermented, then you'd probably be fine to continue doing so. Especially if you weren't genetically disposed toward gluten intolerance and you weren't eating large amounts of modern gluten-heavy wheat, but mixed other more traditional grains into your diet.

But very few of us fit that description. We grew up on Wonder bread, mac & cheese, and thick crust pizza. Not only were our diets filled with gluten and anti-nutrients, but those were accompanied by large volumes of inflammatory PUFAs from vegetable oil and fructose from refined sugars. We're damaged, so just starting to soak the grains to remove some/most of the harmful ingredients may not be enough to get us healthy.

An analogy: If you're trying to avoid a sunburn, just reducing your time in the sun to short enough periods will do that. But if you're already badly sunburned and peeling, you have to get out of the sun entirely so you can heal.

Besides all that, soaking/sprouting/fermenting is a fair amount of work. If you like the process of baking, you might enjoy the work, with its various steps over time and containers of wet grains sitting around on your counters. But if you're just looking to get good quality, good tasting food into your body without turning it into a full-time job, steak and eggs are a heck of a lot easier.

Answer by Dexter for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2011-06-10T13:34:15Z

I never could fathom having to sprout grains just so I could eat them. I don't know what is the obsession with trying to eat a neolithic food that I know does damage to my body...soaked or not.

The obsession is so great in vegans that they began to sprout anything that would sprout because they perceived that the sprouts are always a good food source.

Then they started sprouting buckwheat and juiced the sprouts. They contracted a condition called fagopyroism...a condition that results in the skin being very very sun sensitive. http://www.townsendletter.com/Dec2004/buckwheat1204.htm

Answer by ConnieBella for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2012-01-07T05:26:11Z

I have been eating paleo for 2 years, and I do eat sprouted rice and corn. I also eat sprouted beans, sprouted rice and I use sprouted wheat flour for baking. Then texture is a little different from wheat flour and gluten free flour, but as far as I understand sprouted grains digest similarly to vegetables. I have had no ill effects from eating the sprouted grains, and have found several online suppliers. My family has slowly been making the switch to paleo, and these sprouted beans/grains have really helped with the transition. I eat 40% vegetable, 30% protein and 30% fat. This combination of protein, veg/fruit and fat seems to work really well for me, and I have lost 80lbs in the last two years through this change in my diet. I buy my fruit and veg at our local food co-op, this encourages me to eat seasonally. I also eat raw dairy/yogurt that I get from a local dairy. I have found that the least amount of processing is best. Good luck on your paleo journey. It changes your life, but in some really great ways. I have RA, Fibromyalgia, IBS and chronic migraines. This change in my diet has completely changed the quality of my life when it comes to overall pain level and inflammation. It is the best thing I have done for myself.

Answer by aslak for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2012-03-07T23:37:12Z

I've come to this page with the same question. I see to aspect as to why grain and seeds should be unhealthy. First grains and seeds have a high starch content. Second Grains and seeds have natural toxins, all plants do but in different amounts. The thin is that the process of sprouting tricks the grain or seed to transform its starch into sugars which it uses as its energy source until photosyntheses is possible. So sprouted Grains and seeds have a vary low content of starch hand a high fiber and sugar content. The question as I see it is whether it's still poisonous, due to its toxins.

Answer by Austin for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2012-03-07T23:49:37Z

For most people, they ARE fine. They just aren't an IDEAL source of nutrients (and a bit of a pain to prepare) when compared to the foods we more commonly recommend like eggs, liver, salmon, beef, etc. But if you like them and tolerate them, go for it.

Answer by samantha for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2012-09-19T02:06:24Z

not so sure foodies are seeking that which is easier. So soak away! ...Paleo has been helpful, up to a certain point, Ive had to start avoiding eggs, pork and anything more then a table spoon of fat or two a day... it looks like i have autoimmune hepatitis of the liver, and my body is waffling with a Ovarian Cysts diagnosis (sometimes i have all the symptoms, sometimes i don't..explain that?)...Anyway, I would love to get back into sprouts for simple variety, so is it yea or nea?

Answer by Paleo Huntress for How are fermented/sprouted grains not "ok"?

2013-02-06T18:09:43Z

I'm late to the party, but for me it comes down to nutrient density. WAPF likes to throw around the term "nutritious", and though in context to what was bioavailable in grains that are NOT ancestrally prepared, the nutrient availability is significant, in context to just about every other food source there is, ancestrally prepared grains are still basically a pile of sugar with very little nutrition. For me, Paleo is about getting all the nutrition I can in for every calorie of food I eat.

~Huntress