The Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Foods

 

Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds

by 

Weston Petroski

 and

Deanna M. Minich

 ^*

Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine Graduate Program, University of Western States, 2900 NE 132nd Ave, Portland, OR 97230, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2020, 12(10), 2929; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102929

Received: 2 August 2020 / Revised: 19 September 2020 / Accepted: 22 September 2020 / Published: 24 September 2020

Plant-based diets are associated with reduced risk of lifestyle-induced chronic diseases. The thousands of phytochemicals they contain are implicated in cellular-based mechanisms to promote antioxidant defense and reduce inflammation. While recommendations encourage the intake of fruits and vegetables, most people fall short of their target daily intake. Despite the need to increase plant-food consumption, there have been some concerns raised about whether they are beneficial because of the various ‘anti-nutrient’ compounds they contain. Some of these anti-nutrients that have been called into question included lectins, oxalates, goitrogens, phytoestrogens, phytates, and tannins. As a result, there may be select individuals with specific health conditions who elect to decrease their plant food intake despite potential benefits. The purpose of this narrative review is to examine the science of these ‘anti-nutrients’ and weigh the evidence of whether these compounds pose an actual health threat.

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MDPI and ACS Style

Petroski, W.; Minich, D.M. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds. Nutrients 2020, 12, 2929.

AMA Style

Petroski W, Minich DM. Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds. Nutrients. 2020; 12(10):2929.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Petroski, Weston; Minich, Deanna M. 2020. "Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds" Nutrients 12, no. 10: 2929.