Non-Nutritive Components of Diet

5.3.1 Non-Nutritive Components of Diet

The foods we eat contain a wide range of organic chemical compounds. Some of these have nutritive value, as discussed above, while others have no nutritional value. Chemical compounds in food with no specific nutritional function are called the non-nutritive components of foods.

These components fall into a few kinds. Some act as anti-nutritional factors, such as phytate, which interfere with the body's use of nutrients. Others carry various benefits, such as the phytochemicals. And some materials of no nutritional value are deliberately added to food and beverages to make them smell better, taste better, last longer or look better. The two sub-sections that follow describe the non-nutritive factors that interfere with nutrient absorption, and the beneficial non-nutritive factors of foods.

It helps to see non-nutritive components as one broad category split into three useful groups:

• Anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) — naturally occurring plant compounds such as phytates, tannins, trypsin inhibitors, oxalates and goitrogens, which reduce how much of a nutrient the body can actually absorb or use, even though the nutrient itself is genuinely present in the food. Section 5.3.2 covers these in detail.
• Beneficial non-nutritive compounds — plant-derived substances such as phytochemicals, anthocyanins and flavonoids that carry no calories or classic "nutrient" value but still protect health, for example by acting as antioxidants. Section 5.3.3 covers these.
• Deliberately added non-nutritive substances — artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colourings and flavourings added during food processing purely to improve taste, appearance or shelf life, not nutritional content. …