So phytic acid (aka inositol hexaphosphate, IP6) is one of the forms of inositol and a source of myo inositol which has been found to improve insulin signaling and seratonin production. But of course we know it chelates minerals/metals, but that isn't entirely a bad thing. Many are toxic in excess. Some, like mercury, in any amounts. Phytic acid is used as a chelating substance for uranium. It's also used in soil to remove contaminants such as uranium.

So what I'm trying to determine is if sprouting my buckwheat frees up the inositols.

Be careful with sprouting buckwheat. I've added a lot of buckwheat to my diet recently, for unrelated reasons. The buckwheat *plant* contains large amounts of fagopyrin (a structurally interesting compound related to hypericin from St. Johns wort). The compound is phototoxic, and orally bioavailable.. it builds up in your skin after eating it. All the human case studies I've read (easily searched for on the net) are of people juicing or otherwise consuming fresh buckwheat greens or shoots. On exposure to sunlight, fagopyrin absorbs photons and produces singlet oxygen and other reactive radicals, which then go on to damage surrounding tissues. In people who have been regularly consuming fresh buckwheat, this results in extreme sensitivity to light, swelling and itching, and being easily sunburned... this evolves into neurological symptoms, dizziness and nausea.

The buckwheat *seeds* themselves contain only trace amounts of fagopyrin, and thus whole buckwheat, kasha, and buckwheat flour are perfectly fine. And of course, they've been eaten without problems for thousands of years. I haven't found any references to sprouting buckwheat as a traditional practice, though. Kasha is invariably made from buckwheat groats that are toasted/roasted and then boiled. Soba is made from unsprouted buckwheat flour.

I've been toying with just soaking overnight. I doubt this could realistically cause a problem if only eaten occasionally. But there has to be a clear advantage to weigh against the risk. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find any reports on at what point in the life of the plant fagopyrin is produced, or the concentration of fagopyrin in sprouts. Shoots are very high in fagopyrins though, so it stands to reason that production begins with germination of the seed.

Anyway, just wanted to let people know. I was quite surprised to learn of this.

So phytic acid (aka inositol hexaphosphate, IP6) is one of the forms of inositol and a source of myo inositol which has been found to improve insulin signaling and seratonin production. But of course we know it chelates minerals/metals, but that isn't entirely a bad thing. Many are toxic in excess. Some, like mercury, in any amounts. Phytic acid is used as a chelating substance for uranium. It's also used in soil to remove contaminants such as uranium.

So what I'm trying to determine is if sprouting my buckwheat frees up the inositols.

Be careful with sprouting buckwheat. I've added a lot of buckwheat to my diet recently, for unrelated reasons. The buckwheat *plant* contains large amounts of fagopyrin (a structurally interesting compound related to hypericin from St. Johns wort). The compound is phototoxic, and orally bioavailable.. it builds up in your skin after eating it. All the human case studies I've read (easily searched for on the net) are of people juicing or otherwise consuming fresh buckwheat greens or shoots. On exposure to sunlight, fagopyrin absorbs photons and produces singlet oxygen and other reactive radicals, which then go on to damage surrounding tissues. In people who have been regularly consuming fresh buckwheat, this results in extreme sensitivity to light, swelling and itching, and being easily sunburned... this evolves into neurological symptoms, dizziness and nausea.

The buckwheat *seeds* themselves contain only trace amounts of fagopyrin, and thus whole buckwheat, kasha, and buckwheat flour are perfectly fine. And of course, they've been eaten without problems for thousands of years. I haven't found any references to sprouting buckwheat as a traditional practice, though. Kasha is invariably made from buckwheat groats that are toasted/roasted and then boiled. Soba is made from unsprouted buckwheat flour.

I've been toying with just soaking overnight. I doubt this could realistically cause a problem if only eaten occasionally. But there has to be a clear advantage to weigh against the risk. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find any reports on at what point in the life of the plant fagopyrin is produced, or the concentration of fagopyrin in sprouts. Shoots are very high in fagopyrins though, so it stands to reason that production begins with germination of the seed.

Anyway, just wanted to let people know. I was quite surprised to learn of this.

Or with the growth of one foliage to be exposed to the sun. I only sprout until the root starts forming. I haven't noticed any increase in photo sensitivity and I've Been oing this for a whole and been in the sun a lot lately. I was interested in seeing what growing buckwheat and buckwheat greens was like though. I have a few plants in my garden.