You are what you eat and those who treat their bodies and what they put into them understand this best. In a world where uncontrollable external factors, no matter how minor, have a potentially adverse effect on one’s health in the long run, why not take a few extra steps to keep yourself safe when it comes to your food?
One of the biggest shifts in global eating habits is that people are starting to eat plant-based and there are good reasons behind it. Prevention of animal cruelty as well as a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, as well as obviously longevity, are some of the motivating factors, reports Harvard Health. On the other hand, omitting one or more food groups from your diet certainly comes with its disadvantages. If you don’t plan your meals carefully, the risk of nutrient deficiencies is a serious concern. In this light, the presence of antinutrients in the foods you eat can actually pose a risk to the way your body absorbs the nutrients present in the food.
What are antinutrients?
First of all, antinutrients aren’t chemical compounds added to your food. Instead, they’re naturally occurring plant compounds that essentially protect the plant from infection and contamination, reports Healthline. However, one key characteristic of antinutrients is that they tend to reduce the human body’s ability to absorb nutrients. If you swear by a plant-based diet that includes grains and legumes, understanding antinutrients and how to minimize them is very helpful. Also, if you have a sensitive stomach, it’s important to know that antinutrients can be difficult to digest, even having the ability to alter gut function, reports GoodRX Health.
The good news, however, is that some types of antinutrients have been studied more widely, providing a better understanding of how they can actually affect one’s health. These include phytate or phytic acid, tannins, lectins, protease inhibitors, and oxalate.
A report by Healthline claims that phytate or phytic acid is present in many seeds, grains and legumes and can interfere with the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium. While protease inhibitors affect digestive enzymes, tannins can have an overall effect on your digestive process. A report by WebMD points out a major drawback of excessive intake of lectins found in all edible plants as symptoms of auto-immune disorders. Additionally, a report by Medical News Today states that oxalate or oxalic acid has the potential to cause kidney stones.
What can you do to prevent this?
Quite a lot, in fact. Studies on these antinutrients have shown that a few simple steps before preparing food, significantly help reduce the risks from these naturally occurring compounds. Thankfully, soaking and sprouting is actually a well-integrated practice in terms of Indian cooking. Fun fact, in many cases the antinutrients are actually present in the skin of the produce and are also water-soluble. Thus, when it comes to your favourite legumes, it is standard protocol to soak them for a few hours or overnight before you get down to the actual recipe, ensuring that the antinutrients are taken care of right away.
Growing your own sprouts is another fun way to fight potential antinutrient ingestion. If the simplicity and incredibly satisfying benefits of growing your own produce aren’t enough, know that sprouting your beans and lentils actually degrades antinutrients. The same is true for controlled fermentation. Finally, most antinutrients can be controlled by boiling except for phytates – this is also true for leafy green vegetables.
Will you be mindful of your antinutrient intake for a healthy gut and body?
With inputs from Dr. Mrs Debjani Banerjee, Incharge Dietician, PSRI Hospital
