Phytic Acid

Phytic acid, while a beneficial substance with an important purpose can be a serious problem in our diet.

Anti-nutrient

Seeds are created with a protective coating designed to preserve the seed and prevent it from sprouting at a time not conducive to the plants growth cycle. However, for optimal nutritional value, this protective layer needs to be dissolved and broken down before man's consumption of the seed; because this anti-nutrient known as "phytic acid", if consumed in too large of quantities binds to other beneficial nutrients, like calcium, preventing their absorption by the body.

Grains require careful preparation because they contain a number of antinutrients that can cause serious health problems. Phytic acid, for example, is an organic acid in which phosphorus is bound. It is mostly found in the bran or outer hull of seeds. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption.
-Weston A. Price Foundation