Did you know that most plant foods have anti-nutrients? They are compounds that essentially protect the plants from bacterial infections and from being eaten by bugs. Since plants can’t run from predators, anti-nutrients are essentially plants’ self-defense mechanism.

Anti-nutrients are found in grains, legumes, beans, nuts, plant roots, vegetables, leaves and fruits.

The bigger concern is that these anti-nutrients affect the absorption of nutrients from other foods eaten at the same time. There is no exact science to figure out how many nutrients are lost with anti-nutrient foods. The answer will also vary on the individual as well as how the food is prepared.

Not all anti-nutrients are bad, as long as they are consumed in moderation. Let’s get into some of the anti-nutrients and I’ll help paint the picture.