What is an ‘Anti-nutrient’?

Phytochemicals are the various chemical compounds produced by plants. Some might be able to offer health benefits under specific conditions, and others can be deadly. Phytochemicals can be confusing because there are thousands of different kinds, many of them are capable of being beneficial to the body, but none are strictly necessary, or essential.

Phytochemicals are produced for the survival of the plants, which is why many are harmful to us, though others are beneficial. There is some evidence that they might offer similar benefits to us that they offer to the plants producing them. This is exemplified in phytochemicals produced by plants to protect against ultraviolet light, offering us the same protection when consumed.

Often phytochemicals can be put into both categories at the same time, based on what foods they are being extracted from, whether they are being taken in a supplement form, quality of food pairings, therefore mineral pairings, and the concentrations of them consumed, as well as the concentrations stored in your body. There’s a lot at play when you’re working with plants— think of how herbalism is it’s own category of science, and that’s just herbs.

Even though scientists have discovered over 10,000 phytochemicals, they aren’t completely understood yet, in fact we’re very near the beginning of our understanding of their complex reactions in our bodies. What we’re learning is that as with any food or substance we put into our bodies, phytochemicals are mostly good up to a certain point. Or put another way, they may have biological significance, but are not strictly essential nutrients, as they may be harmful in excess.

Here’s what we know so far:

We believe that phytochemicals may play an important role in disease prevention, to be used as medicine, as they often are already. Most modern medications are synthesized by separating specific phytochemical compounds out of a plant and concentrating the dose.

If you’re not a chemist, phytochemicals are delicate and easily removed or destroyed by modern processing. The best way to obtain them is through eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and beans in their most complete form, with at home processing methods like soaking, sprouting, fermenting, and cooking, but NOT industrialized methods of any kind.

As I mentioned before the negatives of phytochemicals come from the overload of them in your diet, and especially the overload of the ‘wrong’ kinds. ‘Wrong’ being the types that are already found in excess in the plant, and the food they’re found in is one that we frequently eat in large quantities, by the hundreds or thousands in a meal. The foods I’m referring to are mainly nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and grains, and that is why proper, minimal, home processing of these foods is so crucial.

What is an Anti-nutrient?

‘Antinutrient’ is a reference to the affinity of certain phytochemicals, in certain doses, to bind to minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, and others. This prevents proper absorption, and contributes to deficiencies, especially mineral deficiencies. Antinutrients aren’t going to kill you, but they will make your body and your brain pretty damn miserable. Just like any food compound it’s more about the amount you’re taking in, in relation to the other foods in your diet, as well as the way you are preparing the foods you eat. Antinutrients are not necessarily a class all their own, but they are a subclass of phytochemicals with adverse effects on humans specifically.

What’s good about phytochemicals?

Most phytochemicals have properties that make them useful to plants, animals, and humans. Some of these benefits are:

—antioxidant properties, protection against oxidative cell damage, and lower risk of developing cancers in proper doses
—antimicrobial properties, blocking certain toxins from bacterias
—anti-inflammatory
—anti-viral
—they contribute to physiological activities, like binding to cell walls to interfere with the ability of pathogens to bind to those cell receptors
—they affect our hormones, by modulating hormone metabolism, this can be good or bad
—help stimulate the immune system
—help modulate the detoxification of enzymes
—help decrease platelet aggression

…And much more.

The 9 most prolific Phytochemicals:

The best research I could find on the topic focused on these nine phytochemicals; flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, phytate, haemaglutinin, saponins, tannins, oxalate, and phenols. I will talk about most of those, with a focus on the ones that have studied both positive phytochemical properties as well as anti-nutritional factors.

Flavonoids

First, Flavonoids. Flavonoids are a polyphenolic compound, and extremely common in the human diet. They are generally found in foods such as citrus, berries, apples, and onions. They are relatively safe in high doses of the whole foods that contain them, and even have many benefits. They can be anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-carcinogenic, and may have the ability to modify allergens. In vitro [outside the body] studies have shown that they also have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-diarrheal activity. As well as specifically anti-viral activity against several viruses, including poliovirus. 

On the flip side, flavonoids, have a a tendency to chelate, or bind to metals like iron and zinc, thereby reducing the absorption, or bioavailability, of these nutrients. There are other negatives being studied, but they are in their infancy, just a handful of not statistically significant results. Though one experiment did show that flavonoids can be strong topoisomerase inhibitors, which are compounds that block the action of the enzymes that control the changes in DNA structures, which may induce DNA mutations.

So overall, they can be beneficial in smaller doses but you need to be aware of your pre-existing conditions, your intake, and the foods you pair with it. Iron deficiency is currently the most commonly prevalent condition in the U.S., and zinc is important for developing bodies, your sense of taste and smell, fighting off viruses and bacterias, as well as building DNA and more. So it’s very serious if these minerals are being chelated by the flavonoids in your diet.

Alkaloids

Next, Alkaloids. Alkaloids are found in leaves, bark, roots, or seeds of plants, and they’re probably one of the phytochemicals we’re all most familiar with, though we may not know it. A few well known alkaloids are caffeine, codeine, morphine, nicotine, and quinine. Sound familiar? I’m sure it’s easy to see how most of these could easily be helpful, or deadly, depending on the dose.

Alkaloids have diverse biological functions, like stimulating the nervous systems, causing paralysis, elevating blood pressure, or lowering it, they can be pain relievers, tranquilizers, or uppers. High levels of alkaloids are toxic, and exert adverse effects on humans, especially physiologically, and neurologically, and often lead to extreme discomfort and then, death. However, in low, carefully controlled doses they can be used therapeutically, as analgesics, to reduce blood pressure, kill tumour cells, or stimulate circulation and respiration.

Phytate or Phytic Acid

Phytate, or Phytic acid, is the main storage form of phosphorous for plant tissues, namely bran and seeds. Humans, and non-ruminant animals cannot digest phytate, because we lack the enzyme phytase that removes phosphate from the inositol in the  phytate molecule. Ruminants are able to digest phytate, as well as inositol, and phosphate, and then they can turn them into useable sources for us through their meat. Inositol is a carbolic sugar abundant in the brain, and other tissues in mammals [including humans], responsible for mediating a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors.

Phytic acid also chelates, or binds to certain ‘minor’ minerals such as zinc and iron, as well as ‘macro’ minerals, like calcium and magnesium, making them unabsorbable to us, or not bioavailable. In excessive amounts, which are easy to come by if you eat a lot of grains, and seeds, phytic acid also forms insoluble complexes with copper, zinc, calcium, and iron, and reduces bioavailability of proteins and starches.

All is not lost though! Proper preparation of foods containing phytic acid can reduce it’s content to a significant degree, negating most of these anti-nutritional factors. However, these foods should still be eaten in small infrequent doses even when properly prepared, always as sides.

Phytic acid in very low doses, preferably those found in fresh fruits and some ‘veg’, as well as occasional properly prepared grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes can have some protective effects when done right. We believe they may have anti-cancer agency against colon, soft tissue, metastatic lung cancer, and mammary cancer. It can reduce iron-induced oxidative injury, by binding to small amounts of iron, reverse tumour formation, can be used as a food preservative, and reduces blood glucose in diabetic patients, due to slowing the rate of starch digestion, but that can also be done through eating resistant starches.

Haemagglutinin

Haemagglutinin is any substance that causes the agglutination of red blood cells. Phytohaemagglutinin [PHA] is a lectin found in legumes and other plants. Ricin is a good example of an extremely toxic haemagglutinin from the seeds of the castor plant. We are not actually sure what the function of Haemagglutinin is in plants, our best guess is that they mimic antibodies in their ability to agglutinate red blood cells. Most of these are deadly to humans or at the very least, highly inflammatory. They should be mostly avoided in any diet, but especially during rehabilitation of the gut.

Lectins

Lectins are a form of plant Haemaglutin, they are found in high concentrations in seeds, nuts, beans, cereal grains, and raw potatoes. These can be harmful to humans causing gut sensitivities, and gastrointestinal distress due to the interaction of lectins with gut epithelial cells. They can also cause inflammation, or immune/allergic reactions, as well as nutritional deficiencies. Recent research suggests that this is due to the interference of the repair of already damaged epithelial cells.

Lectins can also cause leptin resistance, which could be responsible for obesity in humans with high levels of leptin. Leptin is simply put, the hormone responsible for inhibiting hunger, or controlling appetite, if you become leptin resistant your body will not know when to stop eating because it won’t ever feel satiated. 

The only known benefit of lectins are within a clinical setting being used for blood typing. They are NOT your friends, therefore the foods that contain them are also NOT your friends, especially when trying to heal the gut.

Saponins

Saponins are in the terpine category of phytochemicals, specifically, terpene glycosides. They are secondary metabolites found in abundance in various plants. They are always perceived as very bitter, and even throat irritating to humans and other mammals, they produce soap like foaming when shaken in aqueous solutions.

They are highly toxic to cold-blooded animals, due to their haemolytic properties [rupturing of red blood cells, and the release of their contents into surrounding fluid]. They have been found to reduce nutrient utilization and conversion in ruminants as well as causing bloat and photosensitization [skin sensitivity to the sun]. They act as a growth inhibitor to monogastric animals. In humans it affects protein digestibility by inhibiting trypsin and chymotrypsin, and other digestive enzymes.

There may be biological benefits to saponins such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-HIV, anti-atherosclerotic, as well as gastro-protective, hepatoprotective [liver protection], and hypolipidemic [lipid lowering] effects, but only in therapeutic use. They may also help to prevent peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, and platelet agglutination in small doses properly prepared and paired doses.

All of these benefits are from medicinal use, not over-consumption in diet. Again, small quantities of leftover saponins, or other phytochemicals in the diet can have protective effects, the adverse effects show up when foods are not properly prepared [soaked, sprouted, fermented, or cooked] and are eaten in excess. Bitters are a good example of medicinal use of saponins and also tannins, but you only need to take between 1-5 drops.

Tannins

Tannins are astringents, which are bitter polyphenolic compounds that bind to proteins, amino acids, and alkaloids, as well as other organic compounds, rendering them unusable to your body, and especially wicked when paired with meat dishes. If you already have trouble synthesizing proteins, building or maintaining muscle, and absorbing nutrients these would not be a good addition to your diet.

They have shown potential antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic effects in medicinal uses. Certain tannins may be able to inhibit HIV replication selectivity, and be used as a diuretic. For plants they play a role as a natural pesticide, protection against predation. 

Tannins create digestibility and palatability issues for humans and animals. They inhibit growth rates both by means of inhibiting digestibility of proteins as well as palatability, leading to less overall consumption. They may also bind bacterial enzymes forming indigestible complexes with cell wall carbohydrates, meaning .

Personally I’m super allergic to tannins, which means no wine, no legumes and I mostly avoid nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes, except at certain times or prepared certain ways.

Oxalates

Oxalates form insoluble precipitates with many metal ions, such as calcium oxalate, which is a common cause of kidney stones. Oxalate is found in many plants, synthesized via the incomplete oxidation of carbohydrates. Oxalates may chelate many toxic metals such as mercury and lead, which sounds great, but actually it could trap those heavy metals in the tissues of living organisms [you] inhibiting elimination.

It also traps calcium and iron in the form of crystals, which your body then excretes through urine. These crystals are very sharp and cause micro-abrasions to nearly any tissue it comes in contact with, which in turn increases inflammation. In this way, it can wreak havoc by depleting iron stores, leading to less red blood cells, and encouraging the formation of kidney stones.

Animals and humans consuming high oxalate foods too frequently, such as sorrel [a perennial herb], or spinach and other ‘leafy greens’ can lead to kidney disease, and death due to oxalate poisoning. There are now documented cases of people dying from green drinks, case numbers growing.

However rare that may still be, it’s always a good idea to reduce oxalates in your diet, whether that be by reducing oxalate rich foods or balancing anti-oxidants [anti-oxalates, if you will] in your diet, or both! Just be mindful that what the media touts as ‘anti-oxidant’ is often not at all what your body receives as antioxidant. Animal foods are the real antioxidants, protectors, and nutrient carriers— not plants. Plants have some capacity for being antioxidant, but only when used properly.

Phenols or Carbolic Acids

Phenols, or carbolic acid, are present in vegetative foliage to discourage herbivory. Poison oak is a good example of this. They are not all strictly toxic, especially not to humans. Some phenols may be diluted and used as antiseptics, though strong solutions can be caustic and scarring. They’ve also been reported to exhibit antitumour, antiviral, and antimicrobial effects, as well as hypotensive effects [lowering blood pressure], and antioxidant properties.

Sources of natural phenols that may be beneficial to humans are berries, tea, beer, olive oil, chocolate or cocoa, coffee, pomegranates,  popcorn,  yerba maté,  fruits  and  fruit  based  drinks  [including  cider,  wine, and vinegar], herbs, spices, walnuts, peanuts, algae, and vegetables. Though many of these may be harmful to different animals, especially household pets. Many of these foods are also high in tannins so they should not be consumed willy nilly when trying to heal.

Phenols can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, abdominal pain, sore throat, mouth ulcers, dark urine, respiratory, and cardiovascular effects if consumed in excess or too high frequency. 

Wrapping it up!

Phew! That’s a lot!! I hope that above all this helps you to understand the duplicity of food, and the importance of variation in the diet as well as, the balance of food pairings and proper preparation of your food to reduce the harmful effects of such substances as phytochemicals, and allow the beneficial factors of them to shine through due to proper dosage. 

When I began writing this I was intending it to be about antinutrients, but as I delved deeper into the research available, I discovered that antinutrients are just a small piece of a much larger phytochemical puzzle. So this became about phytochemicals and their anti-nutritional factors, as well as their health benefits, because it’s important to keep a balanced worldview. Moderation in everything is the best general health advice out there.

Resources:

1. The Plant Paradox by Steve Gundry, M.D.

2. In defense of Food by Michael Pollan

3. Brain Maker by David Perlmutter, MD

4. Anti-nutrients: http://jairjp.com/NOVEMBER%202014/09%20PARUL%20REVIEW.pdf

5. Anti-nutrient effects of Phytochemicals: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303297561_Biological_Functions_and_Anti-nutritional_Effects_of_Phytochemicals_in_Living_System

6. Bioavailability: https://www.eufic.org/en/food-today/article/nutrient-bioavailability-getting-the-most-out-of-food

7. Bioavailability II: https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/131/4/1349S/4686865

8. Phytochemicals: https://globalhealing.com/natural-health/what-are-phytochemicals/

9. Phytochemicals II: https://www.healthpedian.org/phytochemicals-and-their-potential-health-benefits/

10. Phytochemicals List: https://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals.php

11. Plants with Phytochemicals: https://www.phytochemicals.info/plants-list.php