Questions and Answers
Several factors lead to ______: insuffiecent intake of iron, compromised absorption or ulitization, blood loss, pregnancy, menstruation, and more.
anemia
The main reason iron deficiency is the most common worldwide ______ defiency is that when we transformed from hunter-gathers to farmers fifteen thousand years ago, our diet shifted away from iron-rich meat to less iron- rich grains.
nutrient
Grain-based diet are also laden with ______ acid, the number one antinutrient.
phytic
Phytic acid is also present in ______ and seeds, but the amount can be reduced by soaking or sprouting.
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Unfortunately most humans stopped soaking and sprouting grains around the time of the ______ Revolution, while simultaneously increasing consumption of them.
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Study Notes
Factors Leading to Anemia
- Anemia can be caused by various factors, including insufficient iron intake, compromised absorption or utilization, blood loss, pregnancy, menstruation, and other reasons.
Iron Deficiency as the Most Common Nutrient Deficiency
- Iron deficiency is the most common worldwide nutrient deficiency.
- This is largely due to the shift from a hunter-gatherer diet rich in iron to a grain-based diet low in iron, which occurred around 15,000 years ago.
Phytic Acid and Iron Absorption
- Grain-based diets are high in phytic acid, a powerful antinutrient that can reduce iron absorption by 50%.
- Phytic acid is also present in nuts and seeds, but its effects can be minimized by soaking or sprouting these foods.
- The practice of soaking and sprouting grains was discontinued around the time of the Industrial Revolution, coinciding with an increase in grain consumption.
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Description
Learn about the various factors that lead to anemia, including iron deficiency, which is the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide.
