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Phytic Acid 101: Everything You

Need to Know
Written by Atli Arnarson, PhD on June 28, 2018

Phytic acid is a unique natural substance found in plant seeds.

It has received considerable attention due to its effects on mineral absorption.

Phytic acid impairs the absorption of iron, zinc and calcium and may promote mineral
deficiencies (1  ).

Therefore, it is often referred to as an anti-nutrient.

However, the story is a bit more complicated than that because phytic acid also has a
number of health benefits.

This article takes a detailed look at phytic acid and its overall effects on health.

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What Is Phytic Acid?

Phytic acid, or phytate, is found in plant seeds. It serves as the main storage form of
phosphorus in the seeds.

When seeds sprout, phytate is degraded and the phosphorus released to be used by the
young plant.

Phytic acid is also known as inositol hexaphosphate, or IP6.

It’s often used commercially as a preservative due to its antioxidant properties.

SUMMARY
Phytic acid is found in plant seeds, where it functions as the main storage form of
phosphorus.

Phytic Acid in Foods

Phytic acid is only found in plant-derived foods.

All edible seeds, grains, legumes and nuts contain it in varying quantities, and small
amounts are also found in roots and tubers.

The following table shows the amount contained in a few high-phytate foods, as a
percentage of dry weight (1  ):

Food Phytic Acid

Almonds 0.4–9.4%

Beans 0.6–2.4%

Brazil nuts 0.3–6.3%

Hazelnuts 0.2–0.9%

Lentils 0.3–1.5%

Maize, corn 0.7–2.2%

Peanuts 0.2–4.5%

Peas 0.2–1.2%

Rice 0.1–1.1%

Rice bran 2.6–8.7%

Sesame seeds 1.4–5.4%

Soybeans 1.0–2.2%

Tofu 0.1–2.9%

Walnuts 0.2–6.7%

Wheat 0.4–1.4%

Wheat bran 2.1–7.3%

Wheat germ 1.1–3.9%

As you can see, the phytic acid content is highly variable. For example, the amount
contained in almonds can vary up to 20-fold.

SUMMARY
Phytic acid is found in all plant seeds, nuts, legumes and grains. The amount
contained in these foods is highly variable.

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Phytic Acid Impairs Mineral Absorption

Phytic acid impairs absorption of iron and zinc, and to a lesser extent calcium (2  , 3).

This applies to a single meal, not overall nutrient absorption throughout the day.

In other words, phytic acid reduces mineral absorption during the meal but doesn't have
any effect on subsequent meals.

For example, snacking on nuts between meals could reduce the amount of iron, zinc and
calcium you absorb from these nuts but not from the meal you eat a few hours later.

However, when you eat high-phytate foods with most of your meals, mineral deficiencies
may develop over time.

This is rarely a concern for those who follow well-balanced diets but may be a significant
problem during periods of malnutrition and in developing countries where the main food
source is grains or legumes.

SUMMARY
Phytic acid impairs the absorption of iron, zinc and calcium. It may contribute to
mineral deficiencies over time, but this is rarely a problem for those following
well-balanced diets.

How to Reduce Phytic Acid in Foods?

Avoiding all foods that contain phytic acid is a bad idea because many of them are
healthy and nutritious.

Also, in many developing countries, food is scarce and people need to rely on grains and
legumes as their main dietary staples.

Fortunately, several preparation methods can significantly reduce the phytic acid content
of foods.

Here are the most commonly used methods:

Soaking: Cereals and legumes are often soaked in water overnight to reduce their
phytate content (1  , 4).

Sprouting: The sprouting of seeds, grains and legumes, also known as germination,
causes phytate degradation (5  , 6  ).

Fermentation: Organic acids, formed during fermentation, promote phytate

breakdown. Lactic acid fermentation is the preferred method, a good example of
which is the making of sourdough (7  , 8  ).

Combining these methods can reduce phytate content substantially.

For example, soaking, sprouting and lactic acid fermentation can reduce the phytic acid
content of quinoa seeds by 98% (9  ).

In addition, sprouting and lactic acid fermentation of white sorghum and maize may
almost completely degrade the phytic acid (10).

SUMMARY
Several methods can be used to reduce the phytic acid content of foods,
including soaking, sprouting and fermentation.

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Health Benefits of Phytic Acid

Phytic acid is a good example of a nutrient that is both good and bad, depending on the
circumstances.

For most people, it’s a healthy plant compound. Not only is phytic acid an antioxidant, it
may also be protective against kidney stones and cancer (11  , 12  , 13  , 14  ).

Scientists have even suggested that phytic acid may be part of the reason why whole
grains have been linked with a reduced risk of colon cancer (15  ).

SUMMARY
Phytic acid may have several positive health effects, such as protection against
kidney stones and cancer.

Is Phytic Acid a Health Concern?

Phytic acid is not a health concern for those who follow a balanced diet.

However, those at risk of an iron or zinc deficiency should diversify their diets and not
include high-phytate foods in all meals.

Phytic Acid 101: Everything You Need to Know