For those of you who know my work, you know that I’m a big proponent of wild food. In fact, my goal for this coming summer is to live close to 90% off the land, with remaining 10% coming from the market.
Now, the reason I mention this is because wild foods has taught me a very valuable lesson; foods need to be prepared in order to get the maximum nutrition from that food. With that said, raw food, despite popular belief, is not healthier or better for you then carefully prepared food.
Anti-Nutrients: What Are They?
For those unaware, anti-nutrients are compounds found in almost all plant foods. Grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and legumes all contain high amounts of anti-nutrients (1). When we eat foods that have not been prepared properly and contain anti-nutrients, our body suffers. Anti-nutrients have been shown to bind to key minerals in the gut such as calcium, magnesium and zinc (2)(3). Those eating a diet in anti-nutrients such as vegans and vegetarians are at higher risk of developing a mineral deficiency (4).
One must understand that plants can’t run from a predator. Instead, they rely on these anti-nutrients as way to protect themselves from predators. If a predator eats too many of these plants containing anti-nutrients, they are punished on the digestive level. If they ignore the warning signs and continue to eat from these plants, they will eventually be left infertile and unable to reproduce due to severe mineral deficiencies. This is the plants way of ensuring future growth of its species.
Anti-Nutrients And The Raw Food Diet
This could be a whole post on its own but I will keep it simple for times sake. The raw food diet, in my opinion, is not natural. Short term the diet can be beneficial, however, I don’t see it as a sustainable diet long term. The simple fact remains, raw food diets are loaded full of harmful anti-nutrients (5). Again, these anti-nutrients bind to key minerals in the gut which eventually lead to mineral deficiencies.
The Different forms of Anti-Nutrients
Anti-nutrients come in many different forms depending on the source. Below is a list of the most common types of anti-nutrients found in the human diet:
Gluten
Phytic Acid
Oxalates
Tannins
Lectins
These anti-nutrients are found predominantly in raw plant food such as nuts, seeds, grains, legumes and greens. Many of these anti-nutrients are linked to leaky gut and gastrointestinal disorders (6). Due to their aggressive nature, anti-nutrients will bind to key minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorous and zinc. This will consequently lead to mineral deficiencies if the individual continues to eat of these foods in their raw state. Auto-immune disorders have also been linked to anti-nutrient consumption.
How To Remove Anti-Nutrients From Food:
Soaking:
All nuts, seeds, grains, legumes should be soaked before consuming. In fact, soaking is the first step of many that needs to take place in order to render the given food safe. Soaking reduces many of the anti-nutrients found in problematic foods (7). For example, seeds, such as cashews, should be soaked for 24 hours in a salt water solution.
Cooking:
As mentioned before, soaking is just the first on many steps that needs to take place in order to render a problematic food safe. For example, after a 24 hour salt water soaking of cashews, drain the water and roast the cashews on a high heat until all moisture is removed and the cashew becomes dry and crunchy. This will yield the highest anti-nutrient removal and produce a safe and easily digestible food (8)(9).
Furthermore, vegetables should never be eaten in their raw state. Lightly steaming until soft is the best method for removing anti-nutrients found in common vegetables.
Fermenting:
Fermenting is in a fact a form of cooking. When problematic food undergoes the fermenting process, its anti-nutrient content reduces greatly (10). Sourdough bread is a great example of the power of fermented food. Those who are gluten sensitive have been shown to tolerate sourdough bread well. This is because sourdough bread has undergone a fermentation and process and as a result has had a large proportion of its gluten diminished (11). I highly recommend sourdough if you are in fact going to consume bread.
Sprouting:
Sprouting, although not traditional and very time consuming, is a viable way of removing anti-nutrients from many problematic foods. When we sprout seeds, it undergoes a complete transformation. This transformation renders an easily digestible seedling that contains little to no anti-nutrients (12)(13).
Three Easy Strategies For Reducing Your Anti-Nutrient Intake
1.Reduce Your Nut And Seed Intake
This is the biggest problem I see when individuals are looking to clean up their diet. Nuts and seeds, especially in the vegan and vegetarian community, are consumed way too often. Nuts and Seeds are filled with anti-nutrients that can lead to mineral deficiencies. Even if the seed or nut is prepared perfectly, it should not be over-consumed. Our ancestors ate little to none of this type of food, and if they did, it was seasonal.
2. Incorporate More Animal Food
Many are being duped into thinking that the vegan and vegetarian diet is the best diet for man. As a result, many individuals are skipping out on animal foods and replacing it with foods high in anti-nutrients. Mineral and vitamin deficiency, especially zinc, vitamin d and b12 are rampant in the vegan community. I personally recommend steamed veggies and a portion of meat (size of palm) for meals. I also recommend eating only twice a day. This gives your digestive system a much needed break and will initiate healing as well as human growth hormone production (14).
3.Properly Prepare Your Food
This is the most important point of all; PROPERLY PREPARE YOU FOOD. Food is only as good as the time put into preparing it. There are no shortcuts when it comes to good health. If you continue to ignore the need of proper food preparation, your body will eventually feel it. It’s estimated that over 80% of the population is mineral deficient due to poor soil conditions and unprepared fast food. Don’t fall victim to this statistic. Educate your self and take action, your body will thank you.
Affiliate DisclosureWe are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program (and other potential affiliate networks), an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. You will pay the same price for all products and services, and your purchase helps support The Natural Man Website! |
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705319/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4325021/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21139125
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/3/543s.full
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2014/280837/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2010.02395.x/abstract
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11442226
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/030881469090022V
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24915317
https://www.celiac.com/articles/752/1/Study-Finds-Wheat-based-Sourdough-Bread-Started-with-Selected-Lactobacilli-is-Tolerated-by-Celiac-Disease-Patients/Page1.html
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0010(199701)73:1%3C1::AID-JSFA694%3E3.0.CO;2-B/abstract
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22938099
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/
Leave a Reply