The other day I saw a video warning people that oats are unhealthy because they are an anti-nutrient food and should be avoided. Anti-nutrients are compounds that block the absorption of certain nutrients. Here’s what I learned and why I’m going to keep eating oats and other foods in the anti-nutrient category.
Oats are not the only anti-nutrient foods. Broccoli, kale, Brussel spouts, beans, soy beans, beets, nuts, coffee, green leafy vegetables…the list goes on. What I have learned is that yes, anti-nutrient foods exists, but preparation methods such as soaking and cooking can reduce levels of anti-nutrient compounds.
My takeaway, it’s good to be aware of anti-nutrients, but I’m not going to stop eating these foods. In fact, some studies show that the same anti-nutrient compounds offer health benefits. I’ll be more aware of preparation methods, for sure.
For this post, I consulted the research publication Nutrition and also Harvard Health.
Did You Know?
There are different types of anti-nutrients such as: lectins, oxalates, goitrogens, phytoestrogens, phytates, and tannins. Even growing conditions such as weather, location, pesticides can affect the anti-nutrient compounds.
