Micronutrients & recovery

The physical structure of plant-based foods (food matrix) acts as a barrier to nutrient digestion, meaning intact cell walls in nuts and grains reduce lipid and starch bioaccessibility compared to disintegrated foods.

When eating whole nuts or grains, your body may not absorb all the calories listed on the package because the tough cell walls protect some of the fats and starches from digestion. This means whole plant foods might be less calorie-dense than their labels suggest, but you should not rely on this to overconsume them.