Why your beans might block iron absorption
The influence of different protein sources on phytate inhibition of nonheme-iron absorption in humans.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Phytic acid in foods like beans and grains sticks to iron and stops your body from absorbing it.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
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Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Phytic acid in foods like beans and grains sticks to iron and stops your body from absorbing it.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 540 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Reddy MB, Hurrell RF, Juillerat MA, Cook JD
Related Content
Claims (2)
Phytic acid, a compound found in plant foods, binds to iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium in the digestive tract, which decreases how much of these minerals the body can take up.
When phytate is added to a meal in doses of 50–300 mg, it reduces the amount of nonheme iron absorbed by the body by 83–90%, and this effect does not change based on whether the meal includes egg, meat, or soy protein.