I'm providing the following links and excerpts from them for the folks who are interested in the science of nutritional benefit of fermenting (and sprouting) to improve flock (or personal) diet.
The following paragraphs are not pulled from my limited knowledge base, but are quoted from scientific study that supports the value of fermentation (and I might add, sprouting) in reducing the anti-nutrients (phytate), as well as improving the protein and vitamin content of the grains being analyzed.
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This exerpt from Tikki Jane's article:
Another
benefit of fermentation is that frequently the product does not require cooking or the heating time required for preparation is greatly reduced (Steinkraus 1994).
Figure 4 – Influence of natural
fermentation of cereals on available lysine.
Data from Hamad and Fields (1979)
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Here's an other article that might be enjoyed by the reader who wants to expand their knowledge:
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/7/1/390/htm
This article references the dietary benefit as well as short comings of wheat. Of particular note is the copied paragraph below:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/wheat#section9
Antinutrients
Whole-grain wheat contains
phytic acid (phytate), a nutrient that impairs the absorption of minerals, such as iron and zinc, from the same meal (
21).
For this reason, it has been referred to as an antinutrient.
This is usually not a problem in well-balanced diets, but may be a concern in diets that are largely based on cereal grains and legumes.
The phytic acid content of wheat can be reduced considerably by soaking and fermenting the grains (21).
For example, the
phytate content of fermented sourdough bread may be reduced by 90% (
58).
BOTTOM LINE:Whole wheat contains phytic acid, an antinutrient that may impair the absorption of iron and zinc from the gut.
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Millet, b/c it is drought tolerant and has a short growing season is becoming a much more popular part of the human (and animal) diet. I quote the following article:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1541-4337.12012/full
Millet grains, before consumption and for preparing of food, are usually processed by commonly used traditional processing techniques include decorticating, malting,
fermentation, roasting, flaking, and grinding to improve their edible, nutritional, and sensory properties.
It has also been reported that millet proteins are good sources of essential amino acids except lysine and threonine but are relatively high in methionine. Millets are also rich sources of phytochemicals and micronutrients (Mal and others
2010; Singh and others
2012).
It contains about 92.5% dry matter, 2.1% ash, 2.8% crude fiber, 7.8% crude fat, 13.6% crude protein, and 63.2% starch (Ali and others
2003). Also, foxtail millet protein characterization showed that its protein concentrate is a potential functional food ingredient and the essential amino acid pattern suggests possible use as a supplementary protein source to most cereals because it is rich in lysine
Effect of germination and
fermentation of pearl millet on proximate, chemical, and sensory properties of instant
fura (a Nigerian cereal food) was examined. It was found that germination appeared to be a promising food processing method for improving the nutrient and energy densities of
fura and,
when combined with fermentation, reduced phytic acid significantly (P < 0.05) (Inyang and Zakari 2008).
Germination and
probiotic fermentation caused significant improvement in the contents of thiamine, niacin, total lysine, protein fractions, sugars, soluble dietary fiber, and in vitro availability of Ca, Fe, and Zn of food blends
Fermented foods are also produced and consumed worldwide in terms of their importance for human food (Mugocha and others 2000; Gotcheva and others 2001). The chemical compositions of millet grains and their food products were found to be modified by fermentation. Therefore, millet grains are used to produce different kinds of traditional fermented foods in developing countries in Africa and Asia. Fermentation is one of the processes that decrease the levels of antinutrients in food grains and increase the protein availability, in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), and nutritive value. It has been indicated that fermentation of processed pearl millet.......
This article goes on to cover the value of fermentation and it's use as a valuable food preparation and preservation method in many, many countries. Nutritional analysis noted improved vitamin and protein content. I got tired of cutting and pasting. So, if interested, I suggest that you pull up the article and read the whole thing.
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