What are antinutrients and can they harm your health
Miscellaneous / / May 30, 2022
These substances are found in many well-known healthy foods.
What are antinutrients
Antinutrients are organic compounds that blockAre Anti‑Nutrient Harmful? / Harvard T.H. Chan absorption of nutrients and minerals necessary for health, such as calcium, zinc or iron.
They are mainly found in foods of plant origin: legumes and grains, vegetables and fruits, berries, tea and wine. In other words, in all foods that are considered extremely healthy and come first in any guide to healthy eating.
At the same time, if a person has diseases associated with mineral deficiencies, such as osteoporosis or anemia, antinutrients can be harmful.
What antinutrients are in healthy foods
We will list the most common substances that are likely to be present in your diet and explain how harmful they can be to your health.
1. Lectins
Lectins are a family of carbohydrate-related proteins (glycoproteins) that containedW. Petroski, D. M. Minich. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds / Nutrients
in almost all organisms. Plants use these substances to protect against insects, mold, fungus and disease.Small amounts of lectins are found in raw fruits and vegetables, but the main dietary source of these antinutrients is legumesL. Shi, S. D. Arntfield, M. Nickerson. Changes in levels of phytic acids, lectins and oxalates during soaking and cooking of Canadian pulses / Food research international. For example, soybeans, beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas.
The specific content of lectins varies depending on the place of cultivation and the sensitivity of plants to parasites. So, in fresh beans from different regions, there can be 200 ng/g, and more than 51,200 ng/g of this substance.
Lectins in the body resistI. M. Vasconcelos, J. T. A. Olivera. Antinutritional properties of plant lectins / Toxicon cleavage in the intestine and remain stable in an acidic environment. And this may callD. L. J. Freed. Do dietary lectins cause disease? /BMJ digestive problems: nausea, vomit, indigestion and diarrhea. Softer effects are bloating and increased gas formation.
Animal studies show that active lectins can violateW. Petroski, D. M. Minich. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds / Nutrients the absorption of minerals, especially calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc, negatively affect the intestinal microflora and cause inflammation.
2. Oxalates
Oxalates are salts and esters of oxalic acid, which containedW. Petroski, D. M. Minich. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds / Nutrients in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, sorrel, rhubarb, as well as beets, sweet potatoes, tea, legumes and nuts.
Plants produce these substances for protection, calcium metabolism and getting rid of heavy metals. Oxalates are also produced in the human body - they are synthesized in the liver from the amino acids glycine, hydroxyproline, serine and others.
Antinutrients of this group are divided into soluble and insoluble in water. The former include oxalic acid and its compounds (salts) with sodium and potassium.
Such substances can bind to minerals, reducing their absorption, as well as absorbed through the intestinal walls, enter the kidneys and promote1. G. P. Savage, A. B. Ross. Effect of Cooking on the Soluble and Insoluble Oxalate Content of Some New Zealand Foods / Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
2. W. Chai, M. Liebman. Effect of different cooking methods on vegetable oxalate content / Journal of agricultural and food chemistry the formation of stones. The risk is especially great if the person has digestive problems.
For example, irritable bowel syndrome increases the permeability of the walls, which can lead to greater absorption of oxalates and the appearance of nephrolithiasis.
At the same time, insoluble oxalates - compounds of oxalic acid and calcium or magnesium - are absorbed with difficulty and excreted in the feces. Therefore, a sufficient amount of these trace elements in the diet protects against the formation of stones.
3. Phytates
Phytates (phytic acid) are substances that producedW. Petroski, D. M. Minich. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds / Nutrients plants during seed development. They are responsible for 60-90% of the total phosphorus in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.
Quite a lot of phytates are found in soy, a little less in other popular legumes like beans or peas. Also, many of these substances are present in whole grains. For example, wild rice contains about 10 times more phytates than polished rice.
Thus, the more plant foods you eat, the more antinutrients will be in the diet. For example, in vegetarians and people from underdeveloped agrarian countries, their daily amount maybeW. Petroski, D. M. Minich. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds / Nutrients reach up to 2–2.6 g, while in the traditional mixed diet only about 650 mg.
A possible health hazard of phytates is that these substances can bind to minerals, forming insoluble complexes that are inaccessible to digestion by enzymes. As a result, they can reduce the bioavailability of beneficial minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
In one experimentK. Fredlund, M. Isaksson, L. Rossander‑Hulthen. Absorption of zinc and retention of calcium: dose-dependent inhibition by phytate / Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology wheat flour baking with 250 mg of phytates reduced zinc absorption by 16% and calcium retention in the body by 20%.
4. Saponins
Saponins are bitter tasting productsH. Nath, M. Samtiya, T. Dhewa. Beneficial attributes and adverse effects of major plant‑based foods anti‑nutrients on health: A review / Human Nutrition & Metabolism exchange of plants containedM. Samtiya, R. E. Aluko, T. Dhewa. Plant food anti‑nutritional factors and their reduction strategies: an overview / Food Production, Processing and Nutrition volume in legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as spinach, tea, oatmeal and beets.
When ingested with food, these substances can suppress1. Ercan, P., El, S. N. Inhibitory effects of chickpea and Tribulus terrestris on lipase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase / Food Chemistry
2. Lee, S. S., Mohd Esa, N., & Loh, S. P. (2015). In vitro inhibitory activity of selected legumes against pancreatic lipase. Journal of Food Biochemistry the activity of digestive enzymes, which can cause problems with the absorption of fats and carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.
Animal studies have shown that saponins causeS. Addisu, A. Assefa. Role of plant containing saponin on livestock production; a review / Advances in Biological Research bloating, as well as reduce the absorption of nutrients and the production of cholesterol in the liver.
5. Tannins
Tannins are substances in the polyphenol class that are found in plant foods and provide the astringent, astringent flavor of many fruits and drinks.
They are found in cocoa beans, tea, red wine, fruits, juices, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains. Lots of polyphenols containedI. C. Arts, b. van de Putte, P. C. Hollman. Catechin contents of foods commonly consumed in The Netherlands. 1. Fruits, vegetables, staple foods, and processed foods / Journal of agricultural and food chemistry also in black grapes, apples, apricots, plums and cherries.
Tannins can interfere with the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, and copper. For example, in one researchN. Petry, I. Egli, C. Zeder. Polyphenols and phytic acids contribute to the low iron bioavailability from common beans in young women / The Journal of nutrition found that 250mg of polyphenols reduced iron absorption by 45%. And in friendFuzi S.F.A., Koller D., Bruggraber S., Pereira D.I., Dainty J.R., Mushtaq S. A 1‑h time interval between a meal containing iron and consumption of tea attenuates the inhibitory effects on iron absorption: A controlled trial in a cohort of healthy UK women using a stable iron isotope / The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that tea rich in tannins reduces the availability of this trace element by 37%. At least if you drink food.
At the same time, it cannot be said that eating foods with tannins will necessarily cause iron deficiency. The effect of this antinutrient depends1. Schlesier K., Kühn B., Kiehntopf M., Winnefeld K., Roskos M., Bitsch R., Böhm V. Comparative evaluation of green and black tea consumption on the iron status of omnivorous and vegetarian people / Food Research International
2. N. M. Delimont, M. D. Haub, b. L. Lindshield. The Impact of Tannin Consumption on Iron Bioavailability and Status: A Narrative Review / Current developments in nutrition
3. M. M. Root, J. Hu, L. S. Stephenson, R. S. parker. Iron status of middle‑aged women in five counties of rural China / European journal of clinical nutrition on many factors, including gender and dietary habits, levels of inflammation in the body, vitamin A levels, and cholesterol.
In general, only women with a tendency to anemia should monitor the amount of tannins in their diet.
Should You Avoid Foods With Antinutrients?
Despite the possible harm to the absorption of minerals, there are at least three reasons not to eliminate foods with them from your diet:
- Nobody for sure does not knowAre Anti‑Nutrient Harmful? / Harvard T.H. Chanhow much nutrients can be lost due to antinutrients. It depends on gender, metabolic characteristics, the region of their cultivation and the method of preparation of products.
- It is assumed that the body adaptAre Anti‑Nutrient Harmful? / Harvard T.H. Chan to the effects of antinutrients, for example, by increasing the absorption of minerals in the intestine.
- Foods with these compounds are beneficial to health. A diet rich in legumes and whole grains helps1. T. J. Hartman, P. S. Albert Z. Zhang. Consumption of a legume-enriched, low-glycemic index diet is associated with biomarkers of insulin resistance and inflammation among men at risk for colorectal cancer / The Journal of nutrition
2. R. C. Masters, A. D. Lies, S. M. Haffner. Whole and Refined Grain Intakes Are Related to Inflammatory Protein Concentrations in Human Plasma / The Journal of nutrition fight inflammation, and many antinutrients haveAre Anti‑Nutrient Harmful? / Harvard T.H. Chan antioxidant properties - protect the body from oxidative stress and the associated breakdown and death of cells.
What's more, cooking and eating foods at the right time can help eliminate some antinutrients almost completely.
How to lower your antinutrients
Here are some tips on how to minimize the potential harm from plant compounds.
- Soak beans before cooking and then boil them for at least an hour. It's significant will reduceW. Petroski, D. M. Minich. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds / Nutrients amount of oxalates, saponins and phytates and will cause irreversible denaturation of lectins, so that in the finished product they practicallyN. Nciri, N. Cho, F. E. Mhamdi. Toxicity Assessment of Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Widely Consumed by Tunisian Population / Journal of medicinal food will not.
- Boil or steam vegetables. Boil vegetables for 12 minutes reducesW. Chai, M. Liebman. Effect of different cooking methods on vegetable oxalate content / Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. the amount of soluble oxalates by 30–87%. Steaming reduces antinutrients slightly less effectively, but retains more vitamins.
- Combine legumes with foods rich in calcium. A diet with 800-1000 mg of calcium per day compensates for the negative effect of the presence of oxalates and protects1. E. N. Taylor, G. C. Curhan. Oxalate intake and the risk for nephrolithiasis / Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
2. M. L. Prochaska, E. N. Taylor, G. C. Curhan. Insights Into Nephrolithiasis From the Nurses’ Health Studies / American journal of public health from the formation of kidney stones. - Add rich foods to your diet vitamin C. In one study figured outL. Hallberg, M. Brune, L. Rossander. Iron absorption in man: ascorbic acid and dose-dependent inhibition by phytate / The American journal of clinical nutritionthat ascorbic acid prevents phytates from inhibiting iron absorption, another found that it maybeKim E.-Y., Ham S.-K., Bradke D., Ma Q., Han O. Ascorbic acid offsets the inhibitory effect of bioactive dietary polyphenolic compounds on transepithelial iron transport in Caco‑2 intestinal cells /The Journal of Nutrition remove the negative effect of tannins.
- Drink tea between meals. One study came to conclusionFuzi S.F.A., Koller D., Bruggraber S., Pereira D.I., Dainty J.R., Mushtaq S. A 1‑h time interval between a meal containing iron and consumption of tea attenuates the inhibitory effects on iron absorption: A controlled trial in a cohort of healthy UK women using a stable iron isotope / The American Journal of Clinical Nutritionthat a drink can adversely affect the absorption of iron only if it is washed down with food. So if you are inclined to anemia, it makes sense to have a tea party at least an hour after dinner.
Read also🧐
- What are fulvic acids and are they really so good for health
- What is L-carnitine and can it help you lose weight and build power?
- What is mumiyo and is it really good for health
Cover: Spalnic / kurhan / Natali Zakharova / Nataly Studio / Shutterstock / Lifehacker
Best deals of the week: discounts from AliExpress, Yandex Market, Zarina and other stores