Anti-nutritional compounds are naturally occurring or sometimes formed during food processing. They interfere with the digestion, absorption, or utilization of nutrients, reduce the nutritional value of foods, and may affect human health when consumed in large amounts. Most anti-nutritional factors are found in plant-based foods such as cereals, legumes, oilseeds, vegetables, and tubers. Proper food processing methods such as soaking, fermentation, germination, cooking, and roasting can significantly reduce their harmful effects. Phytates or phytic acid are among the most common anti-nutritional compounds present in cereals, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Phytic acid binds with important minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium, forming insoluble complexes that cannot be absorbed by the body. This reduces mineral bioavailability and may contribute to deficiencies, especially in populations relying heavily on cereal-based diets. Oxalates are found in spinach, beet leaves, rhubarb, tea, cocoa, and certain vegetables. They combine with calcium to form calcium oxalate crystals, reducing calcium absorption and increasing the risk of kidney stone formation in susceptible individuals. Boiling vegetables can reduce oxalate content by dissolving some of the soluble oxalates into the cooking water. Tannins are polyphenolic compounds present in tea, coffee, sorghum, millet, pulses, and certain fruits. They reduce protein digestibility by binding to proteins and digestive enzymes. Tannins also interfere with iron absorption, particularly non-heme iron from plant sources, thereby increasing the risk of iron-deficiency anemia. Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins commonly found in legumes such as kidney beans, soybeans, and lentils. Raw or undercooked beans containing high levels