Dec 28 2008
What are PhytoNutrients, Anyway?
Are you looking through your seed catalogs yet?
Something you might want to make a priority as you begin planning your 2009 garden is that the beauty of those brightly colored vegetables is only part of their attraction. Generally speaking, the brighter the color of a plant food, the more phytonutruients it contains. So what are phytonutrients, anyway?
Simply put, phytonutrients are the vitamins and minerals you get from eating plants. They are derived directly from plants, and not from a secondary source on the food chain. For example, nutrients you get from eating chicken or eggs are not phytonutrients; the nutrients the chicken gets from eating grains and plants are phytonutrients for the chicken, but you are a step up the food chain.
So when you choose your garden seeds for 2009, let the colored pictures be your guide. Select the brightest, most colorful fruits and vegetables for your garden, and you’ll be growing a healthier harvest.
You are correct. However, by soaking the beans overnight, rinsing, and cooking them thoroughly, that property is eliminated.
Old cookbooks (even those from 100 years ago or longer) always advise soaking beans and slow-cooking them for several hours. The exact reason (phytohemagglutinins) was unknown that long ago, but the method was clear.
This is kind of like acorns. Most people have grown up thinking that acorns are poisonous. They are, if eaten raw like a hickory nut or walnut. Native Americans thrived on acorns during winter months, and so did early settlers in the eastern woodlands and eastern midwest. The preparation is simply to boil the shelled acorns in water to remove the tannin, which is the poison. Replace the boiling water a few times until no more yellow or brown color boils out of the acorns, and they can be dried and used like any other nut. The tannin is a water soluble acid that turns the water brown or yellow, and as soon as the boiling water is clear, the acorns are safe to eat.