Are Antinutrients Harmful? Everything You Need to Know
Nutrients like carbs, protein, and vitamins
are essential for our body, and most of us try and include these
organic substances into our daily diet. But have you heard of
anti-nutrients? The name itself sounds dangerous, right? After all, we
should simply steer away from anything that appears to be doing the
opposite of nutrients. Not necessarily. Let's first try and understand
what these compounds are.
What are antinutrients?
Antinutrients are plant-based compounds
that can block the absorption of essential nutrients from the digestive
system, thereby decreasing the nutritive value of the foods. They are
found in a wide variety of foods – from vegetables and leafy greens to
beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds – and are generally produced as a
form of protection against bacterial infections or insects, animals, and
other predators.
Although these compounds can block the
body's absorption of nutrients like calcium, iron, and zinc, they aren't
necessarily bad for you. Yes, they can be a concern for people whose
diets largely depend on grains and legumes. But if you eat a wide array
of foods as part of a balanced diet, then antinutrients shouldn’t pose
any risks to you. In fact, some antinutrients can be good for you if
taken in moderation.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common categories of
antinutrients. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, some of
the major ones are as follows.
5 Major Antinutrients
Glucosinolates: 
Found in the Brassicaceae family of plants like broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, rapeseed, mustard, and horseradish, these compounds can
intervene with thyroid hormone production in our body by disrupting the
gland's use of iodine. This can then keep you at a greater risk of
developing goiters, which usually develop as a result of iodine
deficiency or inflammation of the thyroid gland. Because of this, people
with thyroid disease or iodine deficiency should avoid having foods
with glucosinolates regularly or in great amounts.
Health experts say that the glucosinolate levels in cruciferous
vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli are pretty low and
shouldn’t really be harmful to you. Also, the reduced iodine absorption
in such foods can be counterbalanced by cooking them iodized salt.
Lectins
They are a family of proteins that are found in all food plants,
particularly in seeds, raw legumes, and whole grains. Lectins can be
harmful if taken in great amounts or if eaten raw. Studies have
indicated that lectins can interfere with the absorption of nutrients
like calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. However, if prepared or cooked
properly, lectin-rich foods can be managed quite easily. For example,
research has found that soaking legumes in water overnight to improve
their nutritional value also decreases their anti-nutrient content.
According to health experts, these chemicals don't usually pose a danger
to most of us. In fact, according to a study published in the
Oncotarget journal, lectins can be utilized to fight tumor growth and
cancer, though more research would be needed to verify those claims.
Tannins
Tannins are a class of antioxidants that
are found in a wide range of plant foods and drinks, including tea,
coffee, chocolate, grapes, berries, and legumes. Think of that sharp
taste you experience while drinking wine or eating unripe fruits.
Tannins are responsible for that.
Some studies have suggested that tannins can cause issues with iron
absorption when taken in isolation. However, research published in the
journal Current Developments in Nutrition found that these antioxidants
have the ability to boost your immune system as well as reduce the risk
of certain cancers.
Health professionals say that people with iron deficiency should
consider cutting back on tea around meals. That being said, since most
people don’t go around drinking 20 cups of tea or coffee day, tannins
are generally not a big health concern.
Oxalates
These naturally occurring molecules are
found in green leafy vegetables, particularly members of the spinach
family, along with tea. Research says that oxalates can interfere with
the body's ability to absorb calcium. When we eat foods with oxalate, it
can bind with calcium while passing through the intestines and hence
block it from absorption. Moreover, these molecules can crystalize in
tissues when taken in excess, and hence consuming oxalate-containing
foods too frequently can lead to kidney stones. So, if you’re prone to
calcium oxalate stones or are at risk of osteoporosis (a condition in
which bones become weak and brittle), you should limit your intake of
foods rich in oxalates.
Having said that, most health experts agree
that oxalate-rich foods such as broccoli, kidney beans, and salmon,
have several benefits and should be part of your diet. Just make sure,
you have them in moderation. If you are at risk of developing kidney
stones, add a high-calcium food to your meal with oxalate-containing
foods to neutralize any possible negative effects of oxalate.
Phytate (phytic acid):
Phytates, or phytic acid, is a substance
found in several plant-based foods such as seeds, legumes, whole grains,
and some nuts. Much like oxalates, phytates too tend to bind with
calcium, along with magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc as well, and hence
prevent their absorption in the body. Diets rich in phytates can hence
lead to zinc deficiency. However, phytates are also powerful
antioxidants, and including them in your diet can have several health
benefits like lowering your cholesterol, slowing digestion, and
preventing any abrupt spikes in serum glucose levels. So eating foods
rich in phytates as part of a plant-based diet has many advantages and
it counters any negative impact they can have.
Should you avoid anti-nutrients?
Even though anti-nutrients reduce the absorption of essential nutrients
in your body, they aren’t particularly harmful. Since they are mostly
found in foods having substantial health benefits like grains,
vegetables, and beans, their gains outbalance the concerns of anti-nutrients. Thus, they aren’t really a major concern for an average
person with a healthy diet.
That doesn’t mean, however, that they are
completely harmless. According to a 2020 Nutrients study, when eaten in
large amounts or when consumed alone, anti-nutrients can have a negative
effect on the body’s reserves or function in some way. Also, some people
may be more susceptible to the effects of anti-nutrients for various
reasons. Again, more research is required to know for certain.
“These compounds are rarely ingested in their isolated format as we know
from how these foods are traditionally consumed. Plant-based diets
which contain these compounds also contain thousands of other compounds
in the food matrix, many of which counteract the potential effects of
the ‘anti-nutrients,” wrote the authors of the study.
Moreover, most anti-nutrients are reduced during the cooking process and
you can further neutralize their negative effects by using a combination
of methods like heating, soaking, cooking, sprouting, or boiling. Most
of us are likely following these habits anyway while preparing our foods
without realizing the underlying reason. For example, legumes, such as
lentils, are often soaked overnight before cooking. We also tend to heat
or boil raw beans and raw grains - foods containing lectins - before
consuming them and thus remove their anti-nutrients.
Simply put, we need not be afraid of anti-nutrients. When consumed in
small amounts, many antineutrinos offer various health benefits.