The effects of the commonly used processing techniques of soaking (at different pH values) and cooking on the digestive and nutritive utilization of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium from common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were studied. Before the cooking step, the beans were soaked in solutions of acid (2.6 and 5.3) or basic (8.4) pH. Chemical and biological methods were used to determine nutritional parameters in growing rats, and the fiber content of the beans was established. As the pH of the soaking solution increased, so did mineral absorption and the apparent digestibility coefficient, which reached suitable values for growing rats, due to the reduced losses of soluble minerals and the increased food intake. Metabolic utilization also improved with increased pH of the soaking solution, although the values were, in general, low as a result of urinary losses under the experimental conditions. For the experimental period of 10 days, the femur and the muscle seem to be good metabolic indicators for calcium, but not for phosphorus or magnesium. The increased amount of cellulose in the soaked seed did not have a negative effect on the digestive utilization of minerals.

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