Anti-nutrients are those elements in your diet that have a negative effect on your net nutrient retention. This can occur by restricting or preventing nutrient absorption or increasing nutrient loss. These results mean that you are better off by not ingesting the anti-nutrient.
Principal among them are soy and salt but the enzyme blockers in unsoaked nuts are a strong anti-nutrient. I have been told that up to 200 times more nutrients are absorbed by the body from soaked versus unsoaked nuts.
Here is a table indicating the length of time for which you should soak your nuts.
| Seed | Soaking hours |
|---|---|
| Alfalfa | 12 |
| Flax | 8 |
| Pepitas | 12 |
| Sesame | 12 |
| Sunflower | 8 |
| Nut | Soaking hours |
|---|---|
| Almonds | 12 |
| Brazils | not necessary |
| Cashews | 3 |
| Hazelnuts | 12 |
| Macadamias | not necessary |
| Pecans | 8 |
| Pecans | not necessary |
| Pistachios | not necessary |
| Walnuts | 8 |