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Glite Dictionary
phytate

phytate

1 9.3
A substance in seeds and grains that makes minerals harder for the body to take
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪteɪt/
  • Specialized
: fitato
  • The study found that phytate levels in grains can interfere with the absorption of essential minerals.
  • phytate and zinc

You know, often people ask me about phytates, which is another kind of quote UN quote anti nutrient.

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Examples

  • The scientists lowered phytate consumption by providing white rice in place of higher phytate brown rice.

    Academic text (2002)

  • For the third phase of the study, the volunteers eat their familiar foods, including high-phytate rice.

    Academic text (2002)

  • This diet provides about 20 parts phytate to 1 part zinc.

    Academic text (2002)

  • In the second phase, the volunteers eat foods with less phytate, resulting in a ratio of about 8 parts phytate to 1 part zinc.

    Academic text (2002)

  • A study in South Korea is exploring the interaction of phytate and zinc in the body.

    Academic text (2002)

  • That's about the ratio of phytate to zinc that Americans consume.

    Academic text (2002)

  • In the three-phase experiment, the researchers are altering the relative amount of phytate to zinc the volunteers consume.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Studies in Brazil and South Korea are providing more information about the interplay of zinc and iron or zinc and phytate—a form of phosphorus.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Research indicates that phytate, present in many seeds, can reduce nutrient availability for humans.

  • Soaking helps lower phytate content in grains, allowing for better nutrient absorption.

Surface Forms

phytate singular
phytates plural

Morphology

phytate = phytic acid (semi-transparent) = phyt + ate

The word is a standard chemical derivative of phytic acid, but the specialized salt/ester naming pattern is unlikely to be obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Phytate comes from the Greek root phyto- meaning 'plant' and the ending -ate that often means 'salt'. So phytate is like a 'plant salt', which fits because it is a salt of phytic acid found in seeds and grains.