Why it’s important to soak lentils before cooking

Soaked Lentils benefits: Lentils are an important part of Indian food. Be it any season or any occasion, lentils are always present in our plate. But have you ever wondered how important it is to soak lentils before cooking? Often we put lentils to cook directly, but if you soak it and cook it, you can get many healthy benefits.

Let’s know 6 amazing benefits of soaking lentils

1. Improves digestion
Lentils contain natural phytic acid and anti-nutrients, which can cause digestive problems. When you soak lentils, these anti-nutrients are reduced and lentils become easier to digest. Apart from this, soaking also makes the proteins and other nutrients of lentils easily digestible, which does not cause heaviness in the stomach.

2. Better absorption of nutrients
Soaking lentils helps the body absorb nutrients such as iron, calcium, and zinc better. Soaking reduces the anti-nutrients in lentils, which hinder the absorption of nutrients. This way, your body gets the full benefit of all the nutrients from lentils.

3. Takes less time to cook
The biggest advantage of soaking lentils is that it reduces the cooking time. When you soak lentils, they become soft and take less time to cook. This also reduces your gas usage and saves time.

4. Relief from gas and bloating problem
Many people have the problem of gas and bloating after eating lentils. The main reason for this is some complex sugars and fibers present in lentils, which create gas during digestion. But when you soak lentils, these complex sugars and fibers break down, which reduces the problem of gas and bloating.

5. Lack of anti-nutrients
Lentils contain anti-nutrients like phytates and lectins, which can inhibit the absorption of nutrients in your body. Soaking reduces these anti-nutrients and allows your body to reap more benefits from the nutrients.

6. Increase in taste
Soaking also improves the taste of lentils. When lentils are soaked in water, they get moistened, which makes them softer and more delicious after cooking. Apart from this, sodium and other elements are absorbed better in lentils by soaking, which enhances their taste even more.

The right way to soak lentils:
First of all, wash the lentils thoroughly so that the dust and dirt present in them is removed. After this, soak the lentils in clean water for half to one hour. Then strain the lentils and cook them in fresh water.

Disclaimer:  We have taken the help of general information in writing this. If you read anything related to your health anywhere, then definitely consult a doctor before adopting it.