Phytic acid in brazil nuts

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dime
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Phytic acid in brazil nuts

Post by dime »

Brazil nuts have very high levels of phytic acid! I understand they have some pretty high quality protein, but I'm not sure from where it comes that they are low on anti-nutrients. Maybe they also have high levels of phytase (the enzyme that neutralizes phytic acid)? I certainly hope so, because I'm eating 50gr/day which seems like quite a lot of phytic acid.

Figures for phytic acid levels from http://www.curetoothdecay.com/Tooth_Dec ... _decay.htm

FIGURE 1: FOOD SOURCES OF PHYTIC ACID[7]
As a percentage of dry weight
FOOD MINIMUM MAXIMUM
Sesame seed flour 5.36 5.36
Brazil nuts 1.97 6.34
Almonds 1.35 3.22
Tofu 1.46 2.90
Linseed 2.15 2.78
Oat meal 0.89 2.40
Beans, pinto 2.38 2.38
Soy protein concentrate 1.24 2.17
Soybeans 1.00 2.22
Corn 0.75 2.22
Peanuts 1.05 1.76
Wheat flour 0.25 1.37
Wheat 0.39 1.35
Soy beverage 1.24 1.24
Oats 0.42 1.16
Wheat germ 0.08 1.14
Whole wheat bread 0.43 1.05
Brown rice 0.84 0.99
Polished rice 0.14 0.60
Chickpeas 0.56 0.56
Lentils 0.44 0.50

FIGURE 2: PHYTIC ACID LEVELS[8]
In milligrams per 100 grams of dry weight
Brazil nuts 1719
Cocoa powder 1684-1796
Brown rice 12509
Oat flakes 1174
Almond 1138 - 1400
Walnut 982
Peanut roasted 952
Peanut ungerminated 821
Lentils 779
Peanut germinated 610
Hazel nuts 648 - 1000
Wild rice flour 634 - 752.5
Yam meal 637
Refried beans 622
Corn tortillas 448
Coconut 357
Corn 367
Entire coconut meat 270
White flour 258
White flour tortillas 123
Polished rice 11.5 - 66
Strawberries 12


7. Reddy NR and others. Food Phytates, CRC Press, 2001.
8. Figures collected from various sources. Inhibitory effect of nuts on iron absoprtion. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1988 47:270-4; J Anal At Spectrum. 2004 19,1330 -1334; Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 1994, 42:2204-2209.
dime
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Re: Phytic acid in brazil nuts

Post by dime »

I suspect that most of the phytic acid is in the brown skin (as it seems for pretty much all foods it's in the outer layers, e.g. whole rice contains a lot more than polished rice), so we should at least make sure to always remove the skin.
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RRM
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Re: Phytic acid in brazil nuts

Post by RRM »

dime wrote:Brazil nuts have very high levels of phytic acid!
Correct, but its not a staple food (consumed in high volume).
Our advice is to eat a handfull (35 grams) of Brazil nuts a day maximally, also regarding natural radioactivity and selenium contents.
Compared to brown rice (12509 mg / 100 g.), brazil nuts (1719 mg / 100 g.) are not that high in phytic acid.
I understand they have some pretty high quality protein
Very high, indeed.
I'm not sure from where it comes that they are low on anti-nutrients.
Its not the peel where the protein comes from.
I'm eating 50gr/day which seems like quite a lot of phytic acid.
We recommend 35 grams a day maximally.
Luckily, we dont eat any grains, beans or tubers on this diet, so that even when you consume brazil nuts daily,
your total intake is still low.
dime wrote:I suspect that most of the phytic acid is in the brown skin (as it seems for pretty much all foods it's in the outer layers, e.g. whole rice contains a lot more than polished rice), so we should at least make sure to always remove the skin.
Correct.
This peel is also a powerful appetite inhibitor, probably because of the high phytic acid,
and it doesn taste good.
We always advice to peel all fruits and nuts.
dime
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Re: Phytic acid in brazil nuts

Post by dime »

A handfull for me is 50 grams, I guess I have somewhat bigger hands :)
But all is clear, we just need to remove the skin and that should reduce it significantly.
dime
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Re: Phytic acid in brazil nuts

Post by dime »

RRM wrote: Compared to brown rice (12509 mg / 100 g.), brazil nuts (1719 mg / 100 g.) are not that high in phytic acid.
I think the number for brown rice is a mistake though, it doesn't make sense that 12g. out of 100g. are all phytic acid. Plus the percent in the first table is 0.84 - 0.99 whereas Brazil nuts is 1.97 - 6.34.
The numbers seem to be sorted in decreasing order, so it's probably 1250.9mg.
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Re: Phytic acid in brazil nuts

Post by RRM »

You are probably right.
Souci, SW et al, Food Composition and Nutrition Tabels lists 890 mg of phytic acid per 100 gram of unpolished rice, and 240 mg in polished rice.
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