Anti-Nutrients: Healthy Foods That Are Robbing You of Nutrients

While this bowl may look healthy (and it can be!), if it’s not prepared properly, then it’s actually full of anti-nutrients that rob you of essential vitamins and minerals.

Today we’re going to learn about anti-nutrients:

What are anti-nutrients?
What foods contain anti-nutrients
How to safely prepare foods containing anti-nutrients

1. What are anti-nutrients?

Anti-nutrients are naturally occurring chemical compounds (phytic acid, oxalates, lectins, tannins, etc) found mostly in plant-based foods. Anti-nutrients bind to important minerals and vitamins, preventing the body from absorbing them.

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All living species have a defense mechanism to protect themselves from predators. Some species have claws and teeth to attack, others have agility or disguises to escape. Plants use chemical compounds known as anti-nutrients, to protect themselves from predators. When some animals consume plants, they can become ill or die from the toxic effects of these compounds. The anti-nutrients also make it difficult for animals to absorb the nutrients from the plants they consume. This reduces the number of predators that are able to successfully feed on the plants, allowing the plants to survive and reproduce more effectively.

2. What foods contain anti-nutrients?

Nuts & seeds (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, etc. Incl. quinoa, buckwheat and all the nut/seed milks)
Legumes (beans, tofu/soybeans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, etc)
Grains (wheat, barley, rye, oats, brown rice, etc)
Most vegetables (kale, spinach, celery broccoli, cauliflower, etc)

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Common plant-based foods that are low in or have no anti-nutrients:

White Rice (anti-nutrients are in the husk on brown rice, making white rice the healthier choice)
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes (anti-nutrients only in the skin)
Cucumbers, zucchini, carrots (anti-nutrients only in the skin)
Mushrooms
Romaine/cos lettuce
Fruits

Foods containing anti-nutrients will bind to important nutrients which prevent your body from absorbing them, including: Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1 and more. If you’re deficient in these things, many of your normal bodily functions may suffer, leading to health issues.

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Calcium Oxalates → Kidney Stones: Many plant-based foods contain a kind of anti-nutrient known as calcium oxalates or oxalates.

Examples:

Spinach
Soy products
Almonds
Cashews

Consuming large amounts of these anti-nutrients without proper preparation leads to a build up of a hard clump of mineral (kidney stones). ~80% of kidney stone cases are due to excessive oxalates.

You can see this Zinc supplement advises NOT to consume it alongside nuts, seeds, legumes, or grains to avoid phytic acid (another form of anti-nutrient) from preventing zinc absorption.

This doesn’t mean you need to avoid all foods containing anti-nutrients though! There are many benefits to eating a variety of these foods, as long as they’re prepared properly.

3. How to safely prepare and consume foods containing anti-nutrients

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In nature we can see animals like squirrels have instinctively learned how to reduce anti-nutrients to safely consume them. 1. Firstly, they’ll remove an acorn’s outer shell (which contains most of the tannins - an anti-nutrient) 2. Then they’ll bury the nut in the ground. 3. Over time and with the help of moisture from the ground, the anti-nutrients in the nuts degrade, making it safe for the squirrel to eat.

Thankfully, we don’t need to bury our foods in the ground before consuming!

For nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains:

Soak: soak in clean water overnight then pour the water out. This will remove a lot of the anti-nutrients.
Sprouting: soaking then rinsing for several days until the plant germinates which greatly reduces the anti-nutrient content. It’s important to replace the water at least twice a day to prevent bacterial growth.

Legumes: typically 2 - 3 days
Grains: typically 2 - 3 days
Smaller seeds: typically 3 - 5 days
Nuts and seeds: typically 1 - 2 days

For extra anti-nutrient breakdown, add magnesium chloride / lemon juice / apple cider vinegar / kefir water into the soaking water. Make sure to dispose of all the water before cooking.

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All nut/seed milks (besides coconut milk) are high in anti-nutrients unless you’ve made them yourself and soaked/sprouted them prior to milking.

For vegetables:

Slow cook by steaming, boiling or slowly cooking in a healthy oil (extra virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin avocado oil, ghee, tallow, red palm oil).
(Optional) If you’d like extra anti-nutrient breakdown, soak the vegetables for 30 - 40 minutes with some food grade magnesium chloride before cooking.

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Anti-Nutrients: Healthy Foods That Are Robbing You of Nutrients

On this page

Anti-Nutrients: Healthy Foods That Are Robbing You of Nutrients
1. What are anti-nutrients?
2. What foods contain anti-nutrients?
3. How to safely prepare and consume foods containing anti-nutrients
For nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains:
For vegetables:
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Anti-Nutrients: Healthy Foods That Are Robbing You of Nutrients