Not to elevate form over substance, but how does the soaking affect the taste and texture?
Another comment- it seems counter-intuitive that the human body did not evolve so as to be able to use nuts in their most natural form without an artifical process. I don't doubt what you are saying but it seems odd.
The taste is the same, texture is softer.
Grains are part and parcel with the story of bread, neither of which the human machinery is designed to function on optimally. While I'm sure this comment is a surprise to you, significant amounts of scientific evidence suggests that for all of human evolution -- right up until approximately 10,000 years ago -- the primary staple in the diets of most civilizations was animal meat.
There were times when meat was scarce for a variety of reasons but, in general, our consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds was seasonal and supplementary. Most of the animals we ate, such as deer, were plant eaters. These animals had condensed nutrition in their meats (1 pound of meat contained the nutritional equivalent of several pounds of vegetables).
Such a nutrient-dense source of nourishment allowed us to have sustenance during the winter months when we had minimal food storage methods other than the cold itself. Although many argue (mostly from an emotional bias) that we must have carbohydrate sources to function, current biochemistry reveals that we do have the capacity to convert some fat molecules (glycerol) into carbohydrates.
While there are many controversial theories as to why we began farming, it is more commonly agreed on that we began farming practices, or nurturing the growth of specific plant species and domesticating animals no longer than 20,000 years ago and more likely as soon as 10,000 years ago.During this time, there has been a progressive increase in the consumption of grains and grain-based products, yet this time period is but a flash in the scope of human evolution, during which our digestive machinery was formed.
