The Journal of the American College of Nurtition published a study that found a loss of nutrients in vegetables from 1950 to 1999. 43 garden crops were studied for 13 individual nutrients including protein, minerals, and vitamins.
Considered as a group, these foods show apparent, statistically reliable median decreases between 1950 and 1999 for all 3 of the minerals evaluated: [Calcium] (–16%), [Phosphorous] (–9%) and [Iron] (–15%)… Two of 5 vitamins show apparently reliable median decreases: riboflavin (–38%) and ascorbic acid (–15%)… Median protein content apparently dropped slightly (–6%). There were no detectable median changes for vitamin A (28 foods), thiamin, niacin, fat, or carbohydrate.
These decreases are most likely the result of pursuing strains that yield high volumes, though apparently fewer nutrients. As a result, homegrown vegetables may be the most nutritions bet. This is another great reason to buy from your local farmer’s market where small farms spend more energy on quality than producing high densities of certain strains.
For the full report:
For more information on making smart choices at your farmer’s market take a look at the previous post: