Take a look at the many ways in which our advanced world has actually hurt our nutrition levels through produce. However, it's no reason to start skipping the produce section altogether. There are ways you can make sure the vegetables and other produce you put in your mouth are as nutrient dense as possible. In the meantime, don't let the agriculture industry pull the wool over your eyes about their growing and handling processes:
Nutrient Density
Nutrient density is the measurement of key nutrients in a predetermined amount of food. For example, the USDA’s “National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference” indicates that 100g of “tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average” contains 237 mg of potassium, 1.2 g of fiber, and 833 IU of vitamin K. These numbers are averages, based on testing done on produce purchased around the country. And it’s by comparing historic numbers with contemporary numbers that the decline in nutrient density can be tracked.
Crop Development
Agribusiness is called “agribusiness” for a reason: It’s about making money. And in its quest to make money, agribusiness has developed new varieties of vegetables, selecting for characteristics that impact the bottom line, rather than nutrient density.
Soil Depletion
Another problem that’s rooted in agribusiness is soil depletion. Intensive farming methods strip the soil of its nutrients. If the soil lacks nutrients, so too will the plants that grow in that soil.
The only way to address soil depletion is to fertilize the soil. For agribusinesses that are not concerned with nutrient density, the high cost of fertilization may seem to be an unnecessary expense.
Chemical Pesticides
Chemical pesticides are formulated to kill specific things, but once released into the soil, they also may kill beneficial microorganisms. Microbes are crucial to nutrient density because they recycle and release nutrients in the soil, which are then taken up by plants.
Long-Haul Transportation
Once picked, vegetables start losing nutrients. Leafy greens lose their nutrients very quickly; some types of spinach may lose 90 percent of their vitamin C within 24 hours of being picked.
Impact on Human Health
Some speculate that due to the decrease in nutrients, five to ten servings of fruit and vegetables daily is insufficient to meet our needs. Foods that are low in nutrient density may contribute to Type B malnutrition.
What Can We Do?
Plant a garden. Amend the soil with natural fertilizers. A healthier plant has:
- Increased pest and disease resistance.
- Higher and healthier yields.
- Produce that has more intense and complex flavor due to increased nutrients.
Are you surprised to find that vegetables in today's world are less nutritious than back in 1950?
Article Source: Off The Grid News
This has been common knowledge for a LONG time.
Probably because supermarkets didn’t get their hands on every thing. Bring back the local shops.
We had half the population. I’d love to get all my produce locally, but housing sprawl from the population increase has wiped out local farmlands such that we’ve exceeded the local carrying capacity of the land and must get our produce from elsewhere. To do so means that it must travel…so it cannot be picked today…and picked early, it cannot be as nutritious and sometimes cannot even be the same sub-species. We have 320 million people to feed. 15 million in New England…and we do not have the available land any more to feed 15 million……but Mexico does.
And they were all organic!
Grow your own vegetables problem solved
This is true! With all the new technology to produce more quicker we’ve lost nutrition. With all the sterilization to prevent getting sick, we’ve lost important needed probiotics. All we’ve done is make us less healthy.
Yvonne Page
They are also hybridized to increase shelf life and for appearances. Hybrids contain far less nutritional value than heirloom varieties. Stripping the farm land of it’s natural microorganisms and minerals in favor of chemical trwa treatments hasn’t helped either. The farms around here don’t even bother putting in winter cover crops to replenish the soil anymore. Spray for EVERYTHING.
It’s how the soil is treated. When the soil has been farmed to depletion and the only nutrients in it are artificially placed there, the big four, that’s pretty much all you get. Heal the soil, heal the food supply. That’s why supplementation is key to health. One may eat all organic and veggie rich diet and still not have the required nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary to fuel a healthy body.
I know this is true, but is there anything safe/healthy?
Sure they were grandpa and the sky was bluer too lol
Eric, half right… Add in governmental regulations that prevent ‘truck’ gardens, and farmer’s markets…. O see articles that indicate if allowed, we could easily have lil local markets of healthy heretige veggies. Am sure without excessive regulations, you could find beef, pork, wabbits and chicken of the same tasty and less harmful heretige.
Yes….natural and organic
Duh
Yea? You have some 67 year old veggies to study?
surprise surprise surprise.
Yes, lots of them. They’re called heirlooms
Different variables.
Cause they didnt use all these pesticides -GMO seeds etc… Many companies under the NWO want nutrition removed from food in order to kill off 2/3 or more of humanity… Its on the Georgia Guidestones and what Soros-Monsanto and their chronies wantr
Not surprised at all.
Of course they were, they had all the micro nutrients from the soil in them. These days are we put back into the soil is in PK barely enough to make it grow and function. But lacking the essential micro nutrients that all of our bodies need.
Some….GMO ones can have less nutrition ….just check the product . Some are more nutricious .
Yeah people back then were so much healthier without having to try so hard. Less chemicals in the food.
I love the fact this article includes solid academic references to support claims…Not.
That’s not really news. Look at the advancement of chemicals and bio-engineering since then.
Amazing work! Keep it up