Antinutrients are natural or synthetic compounds that interfere with the absorption ofnutrients.^[1] Nutrition studies focus on antinutrients commonly found in food sources and beverages. Antinutrients may take the form of drugs, chemicals that naturally occur in food sources,proteins, or overconsumption of nutrients themselves. Antinutrients may act by binding to vitamins and minerals, preventing their uptake, or inhibiting enzymes.

Throughout history, humans have bred crops to reduce antinutrients, and cooking processes have developed to remove them from raw food materials and increase nutrientbioavailability, notably in staple foods such ascassava.

Antinutrients can be therapeutic, such as anti-diabetic drugAcarbose, anti-obesity drugOrlistat which all reduce effective caloric intake.

Phytic acid has a strong binding affinity tominerals such ascalcium,magnesium,iron,copper, andzinc. This results in precipitation, making the minerals unavailable for absorption in theintestines.^[2][3] Phytic acids are common in the hulls of nuts, seeds, and grains and of great importance inagriculture, animal nutrition, and ineutrophication, due to the mineralchelation and boundphosphates released into the environment. Without the need to usemilling to reduce phytate (including nutrient),^[4] the amount of phytic acid is commonly reduced inanimal feeds by addinghistidine acid phosphate type ofphytases to them.^[5]

Oxalic acid andoxalates are present in many plants and in significant amounts particularly inrhubarb,tea,spinach,parsley, andpurslane. Oxalates bind tocalcium,magnesium andiron, preventing their absorption in the human body.^[6]

Glucosinolates prevent the uptake ofiodine, affecting the function of thethyroid and thus are consideredgoitrogens. They are found in plants such asbroccoli,Brussels sprouts,cabbage,mustard greens,radishes, andcauliflower.^[6]

Protease inhibitors are substances that inhibit the actions oftrypsin,pepsin, and other proteases in the gut, preventing the digestion and subsequent absorption of protein. For example,Bowman–Birk trypsin inhibitor is found in soybeans.^[7] Sometrypsin inhibitors andlectins are found inlegumes and interfere with digestion.^[8]

Lipase inhibitors interfere with enzymes, such ashuman pancreatic lipase, that catalyze the hydrolysis of somelipids, including fats. For example, the anti-obesity drugorlistat causes a percentage of fat to pass through the digestive tract undigested.^[9]

Amylase inhibitors prevent the action of enzymes that break theglycosidic bonds ofstarches and other complexcarbohydrates, preventing the release of simple sugars and absorption by the body. Like lipase inhibitors, they have been used as a diet aid and obesity treatment. They are present in many types of beans; commercially available amylase inhibitors are extracted from whitekidney beans.^[10]

Hypoglycin A, which is contained inlychees andackee fruit, blocks the fatty acid metabolism, so that the body uses its glycogen deposits for energy, which can causehypoglycemia, when these fruit are eaten in large quantities or as the sole diet.

Coprine found in some edible mushrooms, for example thecommon inkcap, inhibits thealdehyde dehydrogenase, which is a part of the alcohol digestive system. This can cause a buildup of the toxicacetaldehyde. Therefore, mushrooms containing coprine should never be consumed together with alcoholic beverages.

Excessive intake of required nutrients can also result in them having an anti-nutrient action. Excessive intake ofdietary fiber can reduce the transit time through the intestines to such a degree that other nutrients cannot be absorbed. However, this effect is often not seen in practice and reduction of absorbed minerals can be attributed mainly to the phytic acids in fibrous food.^[11][12] Foods high incalcium eaten simultaneously with foods containingiron can decrease the absorption of iron via an unclear mechanism involving irontransport protein hDMT1, which calcium can inhibit.^[13]

Avidin is an antinutrient found in active form in rawegg whites. It binds very tightly tobiotin (vitamin B₇)^[14] and can cause deficiency of B₇ in animals^[15] and, in extreme cases, in humans.^[16]

A widespread form of antinutrients, theflavonoids, are a group ofpolyphenolic compounds that includetannins.^[17] These compoundschelate metals such as iron and zinc and reduce the absorption of these nutrients,^[18] and they also inhibit digestive enzymes and may also precipitate proteins.^[19]

Saponins in plants may act likeantifeedants^[20][21] and can be classified as antinutrients.^[22]

Antinutrients are found at some level in almost all foods for a variety of reasons. However, their levels are reduced in modern crops, probably as an outcome of the process ofdomestication.^[23] The possibility now exists to eliminate antinutrients entirely usinggenetic engineering; but, since these compounds may also have beneficial effects, such genetic modifications could make the foods more nutritious, but not improve people's health.^[24]

Many traditional methods of food preparation such asgermination,cooking,fermentation, andmalting increase the nutritive quality of plant foods through reducing certain antinutrients such as phytic acid, polyphenols, and oxalic acid.^[25] Such processing methods are widely used in societies where cereals and legumes form a major part of the diet.^[26][27] An important example of such processing is the fermentation ofcassava to produce cassava flour: this fermentation reduces the levels of bothtoxins and antinutrients in the tuber.^[28]

• Antimetabolite
• Biopesticide
• Plant defense against herbivory

• Shahidi, Fereidoon (1997).Antinutrients and phytochemicals in food. Columbus, OH: American Chemical Society.ISBN 0-8412-3498-1.

• Antinutrients

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