This document discusses how human diets have changed from what we evolved to eat and how this mismatch can impact health. It notes that while processed foods remove nutrients, they also remove antinutrients which can interfere with nutrient absorption and cause inflammation. Some of the main antinutrients discussed are gluten, lectins, phytates, and oxalates which are found in grains, legumes, and certain vegetables. The document explores how reducing antinutrients through sprouting, fermenting, or pressure cooking can improve digestibility and health.

1. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health

2. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health
We were evolved to eat this We now eat this

3. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health

4. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health
• Antinutrients and Inflammatory Diseases
• The Microbiome, Serotonin and Depression
• Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids
• Sugar and the mid-morning/afternoon crash
• What’s wrong with corn syrup?
– Fructose vs glucose monitoring, insulin resistance and Type
II diabetes
– Fruit = Nature’s Candy?
• Lifestyle change, not diet!
– Mobility and brain health
• Processing removes nutrients
• Processed foods have additives
• Even “natural” foods have less nutrients
• We are eating less variety of foods

5. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health
• Antinutrients and Inflammatory Diseases
– Inflammation is the cause of most major diseases

6. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health
• Antinutrients and Inflammatory Diseases
– What are antinutrients?

7. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health
• Antinutrients and Inflammatory Diseases
– What are antinutrients?
• Antinutrients are natural or synthetic compounds that interfere
with the absorption of nutrients
Examples:
• Gluten
• Phytic Acid
• Lectins
• Tannins
• Oxalates
• Saponins
• Trypsin
Inhibitors
• Isoflavaones
• Solanine
• Chaconine

10. Leaky Gut Syndrome
Gluten and
other
antinutrients

11. Leaky Gut Syndrome

12. Decreasing Antinutrients
• “Processed Foods” aren’t always a bad thing
– Sprouting
• increases absorption of beneficial vitamin B12, iron,
phosphorus, magnesium and zinc, plus it makes the food easier
on digestion; decreases risk of allergic reactions; and releases
more vitamins, amino acids and fiber from within the seeds
– Fermenting
• Also has benefit of being pre- & probiotic
– Pressure cooking

13. The Microbiome

14. Human Dietary Mismatch & Health
• The Microbiome, Serotonin and Depression
– More than 90% of your serotonin is made by cells &
bacteria in your gut.

15. Vagus Nerve
• a two-way information highway that connects 200-
600 million nerve cells between our intestines and
brain

18. Good Fats and Bad Fats?

19. Everyone needs to eat more fats!!!
• What does fat do for the body?
• Where does body fat come from?

20. Everyone needs to eat more fats!!!

25. Common Antinutrients
to avoid
Gluten, Phytic Acid, Lectins, Tannins, Oxalates,
Saponins, Trypsin Inhibitors, Isoflavaones, Solanine,
Chaconine

26. Phytic Acid
• Found in grains and legumes and interferes with the absorption of minerals.
Phytic acid can unfortunately lock up high percentages of phosphorus, calcium,
copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. Some research shows that up 80 percent of
phosphorous found in high-phosphorus foods like pumpkin or sunflower seeds,
along with 80 percent of zinc found in high-zinc foods like cashews and
chickpeas, might be blocked by phytate. The same can be said for about 40
percent of magnesium-rich foods.
• At the same time, it interferes with calcium and iron absorption, which raises
the risk for problems like anemia (which emanates from an iron deficiency) and
bone loss. On the other hand, eating foods rich in vitamin C, like leafy green
vegetables or citrus fruits, can counteract phytate and increase iron absorption.
And foods rich in vitamin A like sweet potatoes or berries can also help improve
iron absorption.
• Another very problematic component to phytic acid is that it inhibits certain
essential digestive enzymes called amylase, trypsin and pepsin. Amylase breaks
down starch, while both pepsin and trypsin are needed to break down protein.

27. Gluten
• Known to be one of the most difficult-to-digest plant
proteins, gluten is an enzyme inhibitor that has become
notorious for causing gastrointestinal distress. Not only can
gluten cause digestive problems, but it can contribute to
leaky gut syndrome or autoimmune disease, allergic
reactions, and cognitive problems as well. Gluten sensitivity
is classified as a group of symptoms related to negative
reactions to the gluten protein found in all wheat, rye and
barley plants.
• The severe form of gluten sensitivity, a true allergy to
gluten, is celiac’s disease — but gluten can also cause other
less severe symptoms in a much larger percentage of
people, including joint pain, headaches, fatigue and poor
memory.

28. Tannins & Oxalates
• Tannins are a type of enzyme inhibitor that prevent
adequate digestion and can cause protein deficiency
and gastrointestinal problems. Because we need
enzymes to properly metabolize food and usher
nutrients to our cells, molecules that inhibit enzymes
can cause bloating, diarrhea, constipation and other GI
issues.
• Similar to tannins, oxalates are found in the highest
quantities in sesame seeds, soybeans, and black and
brown varieties of millet. The presence of these
antinutrients makes plant (especially legumes) proteins
of “poor quality,” according to research done on
absorbability of plant amino acids.

29. Lectins
• Lectins are found in high quantities in beans and wheat, which as
mentioned earlier reduce nutrient absorption and can cause
indigestion, bloating and gas for many people. One of the most
nutritionally important features of plant lectins is their ability to
survive digestion by the gastrointestinal tract, which means they
can penetrate cells lining the digestive tract and cause a loss of
gut epithelial cells, damage the membranes of the epithelium
lining, interfere with nutrient digestion and absorption, stimulate
shifts in the bacterial flora, and trigger autoimmune reactions. (4)
• Lectins can cause GI upset similar to classical food poisoning and
immune responses like joint pain and rashes. Improperly
prepared raw grains, dairy and legumes like peanuts, and
soybeans have especially high lectin levels.

30. Saponins
• Similar to lectins, saponins affect the
gastrointestinal lining, contributing to leaky gut
syndrome and autoimmune disorders. They’re
particularly resistant to digestion by humans and
have the ability to enter the bloodstream and
trigger immune responses.

31. Trypsin Inhibitors
• Trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors are found in
most grain-containing products, including cereals,
porridge, breads and even baby foods. They seem
to be degraded well by heat processing and cooking
but can still cause problems like mineral
deficiencies for young infants, children and anyone
with reduced pancreatic function.

32. Isoflavaones
• These are a type of polyphenolic antinutrient found
in highest levels in soybeans that might cause
hormonal changes and contribute to digestive
issues. In smaller does and when beans have been
properly prepared, this can also be beneficial, but
it’s usually recommended to avoid soybeans
because isoflavones are capable of exerting
estrogen-like effects. For this reason, they’re
classified as phytoestrogens and considered
endocrine disruptors — plant-derived compounds
with estrogenic activity that might result in harmful
changes in hormone levels.

33. Solanine & Chaconine
• Found in nightshade vegetables like eggplant, peppers
and tomatoes, solanine is actually a beneficial
antinutrient in most cases. But in high levels and in
those sensitive to eating nightshades, it can cause
“poisoning” and symptoms like nausea, diarrhea,
vomiting, stomach cramps, burning of the throat,
headaches and dizziness.
• Found in corn and plants of the Solanaceae family,
including potatoes, chaconine is beneficial when eaten
in small doses because it has antifungal properties, but
in some people it’s capable of causing digestive issues,
especially when uncooked and eaten in high amounts.