Beans and whole grains can block mineral absorption, but soaking them or eating them with oranges or bell peppers helps your body absorb those minerals better.

Consuming high amounts of phytate, a compound found in plant foods, is linked to more zinc being eliminated in feces and less in urine, suggesting that phytate limits how much zinc the body absorbs from the diet.

Consuming 2.34 grams of phytate daily in a controlled diet lowers the amount of zinc the body absorbs from about 34% to 17.5%, which is a 48% reduction in zinc uptake.

Consuming 2.34 grams of phytate daily with a liquid diet lowers the amount of zinc the body absorbs by nearly half, from 34% to 17.5%, when the ratio of phytate to zinc in the diet is 15:1.

When dietary phytate is high relative to zinc, the body’s normal adjustment to absorb more zinc during low-zinc periods does not occur. This means zinc absorption remains low despite the body’s need for more.

When the ratio of phytate to zinc in wheat-based meals exceeds 6.0, less zinc is absorbed from the digestive tract in healthy adults, even if the wheat has been processed to make nutrients more available, because leftover phytate still binds to zinc and blocks its absorption.