Phytic acid is found in grains, nuts, seeds and
beans, and represents a serious problem in our diets.
It is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant
tissues, especially in the bran portion of grains and seeds. It contains the
mineral phosphorus tightly bound in a snowflake-like molecule. In addition to infringing
on phosphorus availability, the “arms” of the phytic acid snowflake shaped molecule
readily bind with other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc,
making them unavailable as well. Phytic acid not only grabs on to (chelates)
important minerals, but also inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food,
including pepsin (needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach), trypsin
(needed for protein digestion in the small intestine) and amylase (needed for
the breakdown of starch into sugar).There is a powerful anti-nutritional effect of a diet high in phytate-rich grains with many health problems as a result, including tooth decay(demineralized enamel), poor jaw development (creating tooth crowding), osteoporosis, anemia and digestive problems (the enzymes are inactivated). All resulting from the binding effect of phytic acid to our essential minerals.
Although the health effects are systemic, for now I
will focus specifically on teeth. When enamel is poorly formed and the diet
isn't adequate in nutrients,
