What is an Anti-Nutrient ?
The expressions anti-nutrient, antinutrient and anti nutrient tend to be used inter-changeably in books and articles about substances that adversely affect the uptake and use of nutrients by the human body.
Definition of anti-nutrient :
Anti-nutrients are substances that adversely affect the overall nutritional value of all foodstuffs consumed (including both food and drinks) by interfering with body processes such as*:
- absorption of nutrients such as vitamin and minerals
- the body's metabolic rate
- toxic effects.
There are many anti-nutrients. Their individual effects on the body vary because different antinutrients affect the absorption, metabolism, utilization and / or excretion of different nutrients, including micro-nutrients.
Depending on which nutrients are affected, the severity of the effect, and the intake (i.e. how much) of the anti-nutrients and affected nutrients, various nutritional deficiencies and their effects can occur.
Examples of sources of anti-nutrients:
- Coffee - contains caffeine
- Tea (but not all fruit / herbal teas) - contains caffeine and tannin
- Carbonated Soft Drinks - often contain acids and caffeine
- Alcoholic Drinks - contain alcohols
- Antibiotics - some kill even so-called 'friendly bacteria' in the gut
- Tranquilizers - reduce metabolic rate and depress appetite
- Contraceptive Pills - affect uptake and activity of some nutrients
- Cigarettes - see chemicals in cigarettes
- Medication - a huge category that includes many different types of drug. See ref. below for more about drugs as antinutrients.
Examples of effects of anti-nutrients (in general):
Nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals, that can be affected by anti-nutrients in general include:
Vitamins,
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Minerals,
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Amino Acids:
- leucine (essential amino acid),
- carnitine (biosynthesized from lysine and methionine),
- the sulphur amino acids cysteine and methionine
Other:
- beneficial gut bacteria (that contribute to the digestive processes )
- carotene
- coenzyme Q10
For more about anti-nutrients, see which body systems are affected by anti-nutrient intake, which includes notes about how specific anti-nutrients affect body systems.
See also vitamins, minerals, amino acids, common anti-nutrients and dietary needs for different life stages.
