Ancestral Nutrition & Properly Prepared Whole Foods Flashcards

Which compound in raw grains, nuts, and seeds binds minerals such as zinc, iron, and calcium and reduces their absorption?

Answer: Phytic acid

Phytic acid (phytate) chelates minerals in the gut, and soaking, sprouting, or fermenting helps break it down.

Which enzyme, activated during soaking in a warm acidic medium, breaks down phytic acid in grains?

Answer: Phytase

Phytase is activated by moisture and a mildly acidic environment, which is why soaking grains in water with a splash of whey or vinegar helps.

Traditional sourdough fermentation improves a grain's digestibility mainly because it:

Answer: Uses lactic acid bacteria and wild yeast to degrade phytates and partially break down gluten

Long fermentation with lactobacilli and wild yeast lowers phytic acid and begins predigesting proteins and starches.

Which traditional fat did Weston A. Price associate with robust health in the groups he studied and an NTA practitioner would emphasize as a fat-soluble vitamin source?

Answer: Butter from grass-fed cows

Price called pasture butter rich in vitamins A, D, and K2 a key factor in the nutrient density of traditional diets.

What is the main purpose of soaking dried beans and discarding the soaking water before cooking?

Answer: To reduce phytic acid, lectins, and some oligosaccharides that cause gas

Soaking leaches out antinutrients and gas-producing sugars, making legumes easier to digest and their minerals more available.

Which of these is a lacto-fermented vegetable traditionally prepared with salt and no vinegar?

Answer: Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is made by salting cabbage so naturally present lactobacilli ferment it, producing lactic acid and live cultures.

Which statement best reflects the NTA view of bone broth made from pasture-raised animals?

Answer: It provides gelatin, collagen, and minerals in a form that supports digestion and connective tissue

Long-simmered bones with a little acid yield gelatin, amino acids like glycine and proline, and extracted minerals.