The American study provides evidence that the content of vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables is lower than decades ago. Researchers believe that the reason is farmers’ focus on the resilience and appearance of plants, while the content of nutrients is forgotten.
The Nutrient Content in Fruits and Vegetables Is Declining
The American Journal of Agricultural Services (AJAS) and the American College of Nutrition (ACN) have participated in studies providing evidence that fruits and vegetables’ nutrient content is lower than in the 1950s. The analysis compared data sets from 1950 and 1999.
A team of scientists at Austin’s University of Texas, led by Professor Donald Davis, carefully compared 43 various fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly, the data analysis revealed quite significant differences in nutritional data.
Researchers have found that over 50 years, there has been a steady decline in the number of certain nutrients in crops, for example, essential vitamin C, vitamin A, minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, proteins, and riboflavin. Decreases ranged from a few units (6% protein loss) to several tens of percent (38% riboflavin loss).
Agricultural Forget for Nutrients
Professor Davis’ theory says this may be due to agricultural practices that focus on improving specific crop characteristics, such as size, growth rate, and pest resistance. As a result, nutrition seems to have receded into the background. The decrease in nutrient content may be due to the natural depletion of nutrients in the soil.
Instead of providing enough beneficial substances for humans, crops contain harmful pesticides and other chemicals that cause health problems. In addition, pesticides are sprayed on crops several times during growth, so they cannot be sufficiently disposed simply by washing.
If we want to treat ourselves and our children to healthy fruits and vegetables, buying food from organic farming or trying wild fruits is advisable.
Source and credit: www.chelationmedicalcenter.com/!_articles/Changes%20in%20USDA%20Food%20Composition%20Data%20for%2043%20Garden%20Crops%201950%20to%201999.pdf
Featured photo by Dan-Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash
