Which foods have the highest level of phytic acid?
Different grains & legumes have different levels of phytic acid; at the top of the list is the soybean. The high level of phytates in soy are so extreme that fermentation is really the only way to transform it into something edible and beneficial for human consumption; fermented soybeans (miso) and naturally fermented soy sauce (tamari) are the only two soy-based foods recommended by the “traditional foods” community to add to your diet. You can read more about soy’s ill effects in this article at naturalnews.com. Other than soybeans, oats have a rather high level of phytic acid; they should be soaked for 24 hours before eating to properly breakdown the phytates. On the opposite end of the spectrum, brown rice has the lowest level of phytic acid in the realm of whole grains. It should still be soaked, but it only requires a 7-hour soaking period, although longer does no harm. Likewise, I’d recommend using brown rice pasta if you don’t care for sprouted pasta (which we don’t) or don’t w
