For legumes to be properly digested and beneficial, they should be soaked overnight before cooking. Firstly, soaking makes the vitamins, minerals and amino acids in legumes more available for digestion. Second, it allows a substance called phytate to be excreted. This substance collects on itself and makes the minerals and amino acids that come with food less available to us. Soaking beans or peas activates phytase enzyme, which breaks down phytate. In addition, phytate is soluble in water, and it simply absorbs it when the legume is soaked. This makes them more digestible after soaking, and the harmful phytate remains in the water in which you soaked the grains. It is better to soak beans and peas (chickpeas, mung bean, lentils) for 12 hours, draining the old water several times and taking in new water.