Yesterday a patient came into the office asking about phytic acid and teeth, and what I thought of the subject. I must admit that I know absolutely nothing about phytic acid, and I told him so. He was kind enough to send me a link that he found on phytic acid. He felt that it was an interesting topic and it was a subject that he kept running into. Thanks Ron for introducing me to this interesting subject. The link that was sent to me is taken from the Weston A. Price Foundation website.  Before I read the article, I did a wiki search on the Weston A. Price Foundation. Weston was a Dentist!!! That sure perked my interest. In the article, I quote, “Phytic acid is present in beans, seeds, nuts, grains—especially in the bran or outer hull; phytates are also found in tubers, and trace amounts occur in certain fruits and vegetables like berries and green beans.” From what I understand the idea that is being presented is that phytic acid is bad for you and that for healthy teeth, we need to limit our intake of phytic rich foods. Let’s explore this concept a little more, visiting some other websites that educate us on foods that are necessary for balanced and healthy growth for our entire body.  Some other websites to explore would be eatright.org by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Or Harvard’s School of Public Health – Nutrition Source. We just finished our 2012 election, and I know their is no way on earth that I can persuade somebody to change their minds on who they thought was a better presidential candidate.  Believe me, I tried to persuade my wife to change her vote.  That didn’t happen.  And I think the same can be said for food, if you think people have strong opinions about politics, try convincing them about the foods they should eat. But I will cast my vote.  After studying both sides of this topic, Phytic rich foods are good for you, not only do you need to eat them; you need to encourage your kids to eat them as well. Preparing Phytic Acid Rich Foods. From reading the article, one of the main concerns is that the phytic rich foods need to be properly prepared.  The great news on this is that these foods are easy to prepare! For Lentils I would suggest . . .  1 cup of dry lentils cooked in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes.  Add 1 t. salt, 1/4 chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 chopped tomato.  You can also use 1/2 t. garlic powder and 1 t. onion flakes, or onion powder.  Cook another 5 minutes, adding water if all the water has absorbed.  Enjoy with cooked brown rice and a little lemon juice! Fore Lima Beans, I like to take them out of the freezer, . . . using a tiny bit of water you can simmer them for 5 minutes.  add 1 t. salt for a bag of Lima Beans.  The color remains a vibrant green, and they taste good with other garden food:  Corn on the cob, Yellow crook-neck squash, Zucchini. I call these,  green Ice Cream. Garden fresh Green Beans: Blanch them with some hot water for about 1 minute; add to a frying pan with a little bit of: Wok oil, Garlic oil, Toasted Sesame oil and 2 cloves of fresh garlic.  Add 1 t. Soy Sauce (or to taste), cook for 5 minutes covered with a lid – enjoy the crunchy oriental flavor of green beans!  I think you get the idea. Farmer Food from the Garden. Even though phytic rich foods are good for you, you need to be careful not to overeat Lentils and Lima Beans for an adult, anywhere from a 1/3 of a cup to a cup in a meal is healthy, depending on how sedate your lifestyle is.  Green beans on the other hand, I would recommend eating your fill.  Fruits, such as berries, again depending on how sedate your lifestyle is, about a cup in a meal.  Again, even healthy foods need to be limited, depending on how sedate your lifestyle is.  Nuts, such as almonds, about a handful a day is optimal. Don’t eat that stuff. Cereals are phytic acid rich food.  If you go through the grocery store looking at all the boxed cereals, I must agree I go along with the Weston A. Price Foundation, don’t eat that stuff.  Let me restate that, just to make sure I am clear, DO NOT EAT THAT STUFF.  Not because of the phytic acid, but because of the sugars, corn syrup, and preservatives.  If you like the idea of having cereal in a box, my only suggestion would be Post Shredded Wheat.  Post Shredded Wheat comes prepared many ways.  It even comes frosted, with sugar!  I would only recommend the “Original”. Another phytic rich cereal that we would recommend would be oatmeal.  We would recommend steal cut oats and making it from scratch.  Keep it simple and healthy. Even though phytic acid rich foods are healthy, you still need to remember to brush and floss.  The ADA’s consumer information is now available on MouthHealthy.org—the new website developed just for you. Visit MouthHealthy.org to find answers to about Brushing or Flossing. If you find the topic of healthy food interesting, we would strongly recommend “The China Study” written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and his son, Thomas M. Campbell II. We love everything that has to do with healthy teeth, if you have any questions or concerns, give us a call.