Plant substances known as antinutrients hinder the body’s capacity to absorb vital nutrients.
Anti-nutrients are organic substances found in some plants that may obstruct your body’s ability to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. The amount of nutritional loss in our meals due to anti-nutrients is unknown, and the consequences vary from person to person depending on their metabolism and the way the food is cooked and prepared. Several anti-nutrients such as phytates, lectins, and glucosinolates can be eliminated or inactivated by soaking, sprouting, or boiling the meal before consumption.
Nutritionist Lovneeta Batra says, “Antinutrients are natural or synthetic compounds that interfere with the absorption of nutrients and even have potential health impacts. From phytates to oxalates, these sneaky compounds can impact nutrient absorption.” For the majority of people, they are not a serious worry, but they might become an issue in cases of malnutrition or in those whose diets are nearly entirely composed of grains and legumes.
5 ANTI-NUTRIENTS THAT CAN IMPACT NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
- Protease Inhibitors: In raw cereals and legumes, especially soybean, block enzymes that digest protein, hindering protein absorption.
- Lectin Inhibitors: Legumes, cereal grains, and seeds, interfere with the absorption of nutrients; inflammation
- Amylase Inhibitors: Found in beans, they limit the breakdown of complex carbs, delaying sugar release.
- Phytic Acid: It is mainly found in seeds, grains and legumes, it binds to minerals, hindering their absorption.
- Oxalic Acid: In Spinach/beet greens/beetroot, it hinders calcium absorption.
“Simple methods to get rid of anti-nutrients include heating, boiling, soaking, sprouting, fermenting and eating the right food combinations to help you savour the goodness while nourishing your body,” concluded the nutritionist.
People at a high risk of developing conditions linked to mineral deficiencies, such as osteoporosis with calcium insufficiency or anaemia with iron deficiency, may want to keep an eye on the antinutrient content of their dietary choices.
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