Published in HortScience 44: 15-19 (2009)American Society for Horticultural Science
Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence?
Donald R. Davis Biochemical Institute, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712; and Bio-Communications Research Institute, 3100 North Hillside Avenue, Wichita, KS 67219
“Three kinds of evidence point toward declines of some nutrients in fruits and vegetables available in the United States and the United Kingdom: 1) early studies of fertilization found inverse relationships between crop yield and mineral concentrations. The widely cited “dilution effect”; 2) three recent studies of historical food composition data found apparent median declines of 5% to 40% or more in some minerals in groups of vegetables and perhaps fruits; one study also evaluated vitamins and protein with similar results; and 3) recent side-by-side plantings of low- and high-yield cultivars of broccoli and grains found consistently negative correlations between yield and concentrations of minerals and protein, a newly recognized genetic dilution effect. Studies of historical food composition data are inherently limited, but the other methods can focus on single crops of any kind, can include any nutrient of interest, and can be carefully controlled. They can also test proposed methods to minimize or overcome the diluting effects of yield whether by environmental means or by plant breeding.”
In other words the 20% percent of the population that actually eats what they’re supposed to, now will need to eat more to offset the decline in nutrient content. Which adds calories…the solution…GreenTea HP! Concentrated antioxidants with minerals to compensate for the decrease in our food! Josh Smith