What if I told you that all of the fruits and vegetables that you have been serving your family aren’t as healthy as they should be? That in fact, you’ll have to eat almost three times the amount of sat, broccoli, to get the nutrition that you think you are getting, that the government has been telling you that you are getting?
Prevention Magazine is reporting on a story that reveals that fruits and vegetables just don’t have as much of what it takes anymore. In fact, the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables is dwindling.
Take the broccoli example. In 1950 a serving might have as much as 130mg of calcium. Today, you’re lucky if you get 48mg. Other fruits and vegetables seems to have less vitamins and minerals than they once did.
The article is based on a report by Donald Davis, PhD, who used to conduct research with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. The study was conducted way back in 2004, so the results for 2010 may be even worse than we think.
Why is this happening? With flash freezing and quicker transportation from farm to store, you think things would only improve.
Well, Davis has a simple explanation. Morning farming places a lot of emphasis on growing bigger produce and growing it faster (the way to make the best profit). Unfortunately that also doesn’t give the plants the time or environment that they need to produce all of the nutrition that our bodies need. Synthetic fertilizers decreases the ability for the plants to absorb or make the nutrients.
If you want to get the most out of your produce, you’ll need to choose organic and heirloom varieties for the best amount of nutrients, or grow your own. In addition, the article suggests other strategies, such as buying varieties of produce that are vivid in color and buying smaller ones (since more nutrition may be Packed inside).
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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