Is Our Food Becoming Less Nutritious?

[Guest guest]

Is Our Food Becoming Less Nutritious? JoAnn Guest

Mar 20, 2005 14:27 PST

 

Is Our Food Becoming Less Nutritious?

 

By Kimberly Beauchamp, ND

 

Healthnotes Newswire (February 17, 2005)—A comparison of the nutrient

content of 43 different garden crops between the years 1950 and 1999

showed significant decreases in six nutrients, reports a study in the

Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2004;23:669–82).

 

Shifting agricultural practices over the past 50 years have raised the

question of how food quality may have been impacted by these changes. A

previous comparison of food nutrient quantity in England found an

apparent decrease in seven minerals found in fruits and vegetables.

 

The new study compared foods such as broccoli, tomatoes, Brussels

sprouts, strawberries, and green peppers. Different nutrients were

compared, including calcium, iron, riboflavin, vitamin C, niacin,

vitamin A, phosphorus, and thiamin. Amounts of protein, carbohydrates,

fat, and calories were also compared.

 

When all of the foods were compared as a group, significant declines

were seen between 1950 and 1999 in the amounts of calcium, phosphorus,

iron, riboflavin, vitamin C, and protein. Riboflavin content showed a

dramatic 38% decrease, and calcium was significantly decreased by 16%.

Vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, fat, and carbohydrate contents did not

appear to change significantly over the 50-year period.

 

The authors suggested that a possible explanation for the apparent

declines in food nutrient content might be related to genetic variations

among cultivated crops (cultivars). When certain cultivars are selected

for their disease resistance or for higher crop yields, there may be a

corresponding decrease in the nutrient content of the plant. This

trade-off between different plant characteristics is commonly seen in

agricultural practice. An example of a known nutrient trade-off involves

wheat crops. One study compared 14 different varieties of wheat and

found that the varieties with higher yields also had consistently lower

iron and zinc levels. It is possible that cultivars selected for higher

yields may not be able to adequately extract soil nutrients and

synthesize their own nutrients effectively.

 

The authors of the new study suggest that different farming practices

such as organic growing methods are not likely to affect the amounts of

nutrients in plants. However, other studies indicate that organically

grown foods may contain higher levels of certain nutrients such as

antioxidants and minerals than conventionally grown produce.

 

Finally, the authors suggest that eating whole foods—those that are not

refined and stripped of their nutritional value—would be the best way to

offset any potential nutrient deficits that may occur as a result of

newer farming practices. It would also be advisable to eat organically

grown foods that have not been genetically engineered. Genetically

modified plants have been altered to contain genes from other plants and

animals; these techniques differ from selective breeding and

cross-pollination methods and are not natural.

 

Because of nutrient loss in food, people should consider taking a

multivitamin-mineral supplement to compensate, even if their diet

consists primarily of unprocessed, whole foods.

 

Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, received her bachelor’s degree from the

University of Rhode Island and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine

from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. She is a co-founder and

practicing physician at South County Naturopaths, Inc., in Wakefield,

RI. Dr. Beauchamp teaches holistic medicine classes and provides

consultations focusing on detoxification and whole-foods nutrition.

 

2005 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or

redistribution of the Healthnotes® content is expressly prohibited

without the prior written consent of Healthnotes, Inc. Healthnotes

Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not

intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have

any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a

healthcare professional. Healthnotes, Inc. shall not be liable for any

errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance

thereon. HEALTHNOTES and the Healthnotes logo are registered trademarks

of Healthnotes, Inc.

 

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/centers/int/article.jhtml?relativePath=%2Fcontent%2\

Fnewswire%2Fcurrent%2Fnewswire_2005_02_17_2.htm & title=Healthnotes+Newswire%3A+Is\

+Our+Food+Becoming+Less+Nutritious%3F & description=

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html