Antinutrient
Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry:
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antinutrient
any natural or synthetic compound that interferes with the absorption of a nutrient. An example is phytic acid, which forms insoluble complexes with zinc, iron, and copper.
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Antinutrient
Antinutrients are natural or synthetic compounds that interfere with the absorption of nutrients.[1] Nutrition studies focus on those antinutrients commonly found in food sources and beverages.
One common example is phytic acid, which forms insoluble complexes with calcium, zinc, iron and copper.[2] Proteins can also be antinutrients, such as the trypsin inhibitors and lectins found in legumes.[3] These enzyme inhibitors interfere with digestion. Another particularly widespread form of antinutrients are the flavonoids, which are a group of polyphenolic compounds that include tannins.[4] These compounds chelate metals such as iron and zinc and reduce the absorption of these nutrients, but they also inhibit digestive enzymes and may also precipitate proteins. However, polyphenols such as tannins have anticancer properties, so drinks such as green tea that contain large amounts of these compounds might be good for the health of some people despite their antinutrient properties.[5]
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 of domestication.[6] Nevertheless, the large fraction of modern diets that come from a few crops, particularly cereals, has raised concerns about the effects of the antinutrients in these crops on human health.[7] The possibility now exists to eliminate antinutrients entirely using genetic engineering; but, since these compounds may also have beneficial effects (such polyphenols reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease or diabetes), such genetic modifications could make the foods more nutritious but not improve people's health.[8]
Many traditional methods of food preparation such as fermentation, cooking, and malting increase the nutritive quality of plant foods through reducing certain antinutrients such as phytic acid, polyphenols, and oxalic acid.[9] Such processing methods are widely-used in societies where cereals and legumes form a major part of the diet.[10][11] An important example of such processing is the fermentation of cassava to produce cassava flour: this fermentation reduces the levels of both toxins and antinutrients in the tuber.[12]
See also
References
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-19-852917-1.
- ^ Cheryan M; Rackis, Joseph (1980). "Phytic acid interactions in food systems". Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 13 (4): 297–335. doi:10.1080/10408398009527293. PMID 7002470.
- ^ Gilani GS, Cockell KA, Sepehr E (2005). "Effects of antinutritional factors on protein digestibility and amino acid availability in foods". J AOAC Int 88 (3): 967–87. PMID 16001874.
- ^ Beecher GR (October 2003). "Overview of dietary flavonoids: nomenclature, occurrence and intake". J. Nutr. 133 (10): 3248S–3254S. PMID 14519822. http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=14519822.
- ^ Chung, K.T.; Wei, C.I.; Johnson, M.G. (1998). "Are tannins a double-edged sword in biology and health?". Trends in Food Science & Technology 9 (4): 168–175. doi:10.1016/S0924-2244(98)00028-4. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0924224498000284.
- ^ GEO-PIE Project. "Plant Toxins and Antinutrients". Cornell University. http://www.geo-pie.cornell.edu/issues/toxins.html.
- ^ Cordain, L. (1999). "Cereal Grains: Humanity's Double-Edged Sword". World Rev Nutr Diet. World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics 84: 19–73. doi:10.1159/000059677. ISBN 3-8055-6827-4. PMID 10489816. http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/EvolutionPaleolithic/Cereal%20Sword.pdf.
- ^ Welch RM, Graham RD (February 2004). "Breeding for micronutrients in staple food crops from a human nutrition perspective". J. Exp. Bot. 55 (396): 353–64. doi:10.1093/jxb/erh064. PMID 14739261. http://jexbot.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=14739261.
- ^ Hotz C, Gibson RS (April 2007). "Traditional food-processing and preparation practices to enhance the bioavailability of micronutrients in plant-based diets". J. Nutr. 137 (4): 1097–100. PMID 17374686. http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=17374686.
- ^ Chavan JK, Kadam SS (1989). "Nutritional improvement of cereals by fermentation". Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 28 (5): 349–400. doi:10.1080/10408398909527507. PMID 2692608.
- ^ Phillips RD (November 1993). "Starchy legumes in human nutrition, health and culture". Plant Foods Hum Nutr 44 (3): 195–211. doi:10.1007/BF01088314. PMID 8295859.
- ^ Oboh G, Oladunmoye MK (2007). "Biochemical changes in micro-fungi fermented cassava flour produced from low- and medium-cyanide variety of cassava tubers". Nutr Health 18 (4): 355–67. PMID 18087867.
Further reading
- Shahidi, Fereidoon (1997). Antinutrients and phytochemicals in food. Columbus, OH: American Chemical Society. ISBN 0-8412-3498-1.
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