Today I learnedToday I Learned is a feature where The Takeout writers share something they learned today.I had English in the tenth grade with a child named Grant. Grant considered himself an amateur bodybuilder, and he was constantly passing out the kind of questionable nutritional advice you can get for free on the Internet these days. I forgot most of Grant’s advice a long time ago, along with the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. But a slice of Grantspeak stayed with me, and it involved the triple rinsing of beans to release them from their “anti-nutrient shell.”
According to my guy Grant, foods like legumes and whole grains are encapsulated in a dirty layer of “antinutrients,” which nullifies the nutritional value of the food. I’ve accepted this as fact for years – until earlier this week when I did read a lot On Yahoo News by a public health professor in the state of Oklahoma, who explained that anti-nutrients are not as bad as they sound. They are actually quite beneficial. Do you see this, Grant?
According to Harvard researchers, anti-nutrients occur naturally in both plant and animal foods. I have to admit, the name sounds pretty serious, which is probably why Grant always flushed his damn beans. And yes, in theory anti-nutrients block your body from absorbing nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc. But it is not that simple.
To understand how antinutrients work, you need to understand why they evolved in the first place. The current power supply reports that plants originally developed anti-nutrients as a defense mechanism against animals. Some anti-nutrients can cause a food to taste bitter; others have evolved to block the digestion of seeds once they have been eaten by animals, so that the seeds come out on the other side and live long, seedy lives.
Fortunately, we don’t have to worry that anti-nutrients are interfering with our nutritional absorption. Unless you consume unrealistically high amounts the stuff will be fine. Many anti-nutrients are also removed like food is processedhence Grant’s bean madness.
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Anti-nutrients also have their own health benefits. For example, saponins in legumes can boost the immune system, lower cholesterol and even prevent cavities. Lectins in cereal grains are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. Then we kindly tannins in tea, coffee and some meats and cheeses. These can inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses and can lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
A word of caution: Vegetarians and vegans may be at greater risk for negative effects from antinutrients. That’s because vegetarian diets often rely on grains and legumes, which means that people who mainly eat plants can consume more anti-nutrients than the average eater. If you’re concerned about it, talk to your doctor about supplements and make sure you – yes, Grant – soak your beans.