
Poor Nutrient Absorption
Phytic acid is found in plant seeds and can restrict your body’s ability to absorb nutrients in the body thus putting a strain on your digestive system. We’re unable to digest it so phytic acid is free to bind with minerals like zinc, magnesium, and iron. When this binding takes place, our bodies don’t absorb them the way we’d like. Studies suggest that we can absorb as much as 60% more of these minerals when phytic acid isn’t present in our system.
Lucky for us, the phytic acid doesn’t remove the minerals but it does prevent them from being absorbed during digestion. In other words, it won’t take away the magnesium you’ve got in your body but it will make it tougher to get the amount you need. It can also interfere with enzymes like pepsin and amylase that are used to break down foods in the gut during digestion.