As the name suggests, from the prefix often meant as a negative meaning, anti-nutrients are the exact opposite of nutrients. These are compounds that reduce the absorption of essential nutrients in the body and decrease the nutritional value of food.
Harmful or beneficial?
Anti-nutrients may prevent calcium, iron and zinc from being absorbed, but they are not of great concern to a healthy person. Indeed, some anti-nutrients may be beneficial to health.
The adjective "antinutrients" has been attributed to them due to the fact that they can hinder the absorption of some nutrients, but in recent years, with the most recent scientific discoveries, this role has been significantly reduced. These substances are not in fact negative for health, but, on the contrary, they are beneficial and allow to prevent and reduce the symptoms of many diseases.
they are anti-nutrients, contained in most plant foods. Performing the characterizing function of anti-nutrients, the fiber reduces the assimilation of minerals and the appearance of intestinal problems linked to fermentation and gas formation.
In fact, fiber is an essential component of the daily diet and should never be lacking in a healthy and balanced diet. The positive effects related to fiber intake are manifold:
- increased satiety
- regularity of intestinal transit
- stabilization of blood sugar
- reduction of the risk of formation of diverticula and hemorrhoids
- improvement of the intestinal bacterial flora
- cholesterol reduction
, lectins can be toxic when eaten raw. But when cooked and processed correctly, they have therapeutic value as well as support the immune system. It is a family of proteins found in almost all foods, especially legumes and cereals. They bind to naturally occurring carbohydrates. All foods - both vegetable and animal - contain them. But overall, only 30% of the food we eat contains them in significant quantities.
are substances of natural origin that help maintain a healthy heart and strengthen the immune system. Contained in the woody tissues of plants, in cereals, especially rye, and in some vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cabbage, strawberries and berries), they are phenolic compounds formed by the union of phenylpropane molecules. Lignans are mainly found in nuts, seeds and grains and have antioxidant properties.This antioxidant effect can benefit health by reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease.and legumes, reduces the absorption of calcium, magnesium and zinc during digestion, thus decreasing their assimilation by the human body.
There are recommendations on the use of plants containing phytates that allow to minimize this effect (in particular the association with vitamin C), only in cases of actual iron deficiency. Even in these cases, however, it must be considered that the human body is able to increase the absorption of iron when necessary, without resorting to particular precautions.
A simple solution to be adopted to counteract the action of phytates on the body is the soaking (which decreases the quantity of these anti-nutrients) of whole grains and legumes and subsequent cooking with clean water for better digestibility.
However, phytates also have many positive effects: they are antioxidants, anticancer, prevent osteoporosis, regulate blood sugar levels, prevent the formation of kidney stones, facilitate the expulsion of potentially harmful heavy metals such as cadmium and lead.
iodine by decreasing thyroid function. These are mainly vegetables from the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family (including cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower). The substances responsible for this effect are called "isothiocyanates".However, these vegetables are a real concentrate of health: in fact, isothiocyanates have an antitumor effect well documented in scientific literature.
, in hazelnuts and peanuts. To neutralize them, it is essential to subject foods to a simple treatment. For example, legumes should be soaked in plenty of water after a thorough washing, for a period ranging from 8 to 24 hours. Finally, the beans or lentils need to be rinsed under running water and cooked. Finally, anti-nutrients can also be found in walnuts, almonds and peanuts.
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