Wednesday, July 20, 2011

What's a Phytate? What's a What, Now?

A PHYTATE, my friends...say it with me "FY-tate."

Good! 

What is it?  So glad you asked!  A phytate - or rather, phytic acid - a little something that has a big, important job in the food we eat, but it never gets treated quite right and causes all sorts of problems when left unattended.

Think of it like a diva.  You gotta treat her right or she'll just claw your eyes out - or in this case, your digestive tract - with her acrylic nails.

Your average cereal grains - wheat, spelt, rice, oats, most nuts, several fruits and veggies and the queen mother of all phytic content: the soybean - they all have phytates.  These are essentially enzyme inhibitors.


Can you see the phytates?  No?  Look closer...
*snicker...gotcha...they're kinda invisible:)*

Very good and important things! 

What do they do?   Are they good?  Are they Bad?  What do you do with them??? 
 
My friends...you've come to the right place.  I am a baker of extremely nutritious breads and cookies and other things.  By way of explaining why I bake the way I do, I'm gonna fill you in on the many reasons why you should be eating the stuff I am baking.

Stay tuned and send me questions.  I'm digging in to a series on Whole Grains and How to Love Them!

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