Hello, I'm Monica Rinegal. Welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast. Today's show is on

Phytic Acid, something I've talked about before, but today I want to tell you some surprising

ways that this so-called anti-nutrient is actually good for you. Phytic acid has gotten

a lot of bad press lately, and it's true that this compound, which is found in legumes, nuts,

seeds, and whole grains, can bind to minerals and reduce their absorption. But there is a lot

more to the Phytic Acid story. Phytic acid, or Phytate, is a natural compound found in the seeds

or the kernels of plants. Young plants need phosphorus in order to develop their roots,

and when seeds are planted in soil or even just soaked in water, the Phytic Acid breaks down

and releases phosphorus to support the sprouting plant. But if we eat those seeds instead of planting

them, we may end up absorbing less calcium, iron, copper, and zinc from the foods that we eat

at the same meal. And that's because Phytic Acid does have a tendency to bind to certain minerals

and block their absorption from the small intestine. And this is why Phytic Acid is sometimes referred

as an anti-nutrient. It reduces the amount of nutrients that we absorb from foods.

Dried beans, nuts, seeds, and cereal grains like wheat, barley, oats, and rice all contain Phytic Acid.

As a rule, beans and nuts are higher in Phytic Acid than cereal grains. And the Phytic Acid is

concentrated in the seed hull, or in the case of grains, the bran. If you remove the hull,

you also remove most of the Phytic Acid, too. White rice, for example, is much lower in Phytic Acid

than brown rice. Soaking beans, nuts, and grains in water for 12 to 24 hours, or simply cooking them,

breaks down most of the Phytic Acid. And you know, mineral deficiencies due to Phytic Acid intake

are generally not a concern in developed nations. Nonetheless, a lot of health-conscious people

soak or sprout all their nuts and grains, or avoid them all together in an effort to reduce

their intake of Phytic Acid and increase their absorption of minerals. Not only is this probably

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