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If you have ever been told by their elders that food "just as he did not know before," you might want to listen. Recent reports of thirteen major nutrients in fruits and vegetables, six have declined significantly, some up to 38%. Preliminary studies on cereal crops show results similar.
Donald Davis, a biochemist at the University of Texas at Austin, analyzed the data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and reported a Decreased levels of protein, calcium, vitamin C, phosphorus, iron and riboflavin, compared with previous decades crops. What this could mean in terms of agriculture in states like Texas, with its long growing season, could be significant. What this might mean for all – that of the individual consumers, local farmers, your health insurance company – is also of great importance. If customers are unhappy, consumers are not buying.
This is not to imply that people just stop buying food. It's more than when we bought it could change, especially for residents of large cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston, with a wider selection of the markets.
Jeff Cronin of the Center for Science in the Interest Public agrees with the findings of Davis. The shift to large agribusiness has pushed for more production, he said, and higher yields are obtained often to find ways to produce crops faster. The nutrients are absorbed by the sun and soil, however, that the plants have less time to mature, the less time they also have to develop the vitamins and minerals. Although it may be an increasing amount of food, that food is less nutritious. In terms nutrient content per calorie, consumers may actually be losing money as prices fall and increase yields.
Other factors affecting nutrient levels in fruits and vegetables include inadequate care of the earth (ie, depleting soil nutrients), lack of proper crop rotation, types of fertilizers, crop genetics, maturity of food in the harvest time and the distance food travels before it reaches the table. The short cut of these practices in the large-scale farming has been criticized in recent years as the development of the mega-industry has risen – not only for food production of inferior quality, but also for effects on the environment, too.
Decreased nutrient content is important for everyone, obviously, but the issue is of more concern to those with chronic diseases or immune diseases and problems absorbing nutrients. The body's ability to fight disease and maintain optimal health depends on the levels of nutrition. Although consumption of adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, these patients may have to consume 40% more just to get adequate levels of vitamins and minerals – and not even know.
All this only adds more fuel the fire in the debate on organic compared to conventionally grown foods. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture's official stance is that conventional crops grown are not better or worse than those produced organically, many argue differently.
Grassfed beef has already been shown containing half as much fat as meat from grain-fed beef raised in feedlots, as well as delivering the highest levels of vitamins E, A, D and beta carotene. Dairy factory farm show eerily similar results, attributed in part to the practice of inducing cows to produce twenty times its natural resources milk levels through the administration of hormones. Free-range eggs contain a maximum of vitamin E, 30% more, 50% more folic acid, and 30% more B-12 than their counterparts in the factory farm.
Organic fruit and vegetables show results similar, and sometimes growth, lower yields, lack of chemical nitrogen fertilizer, the practices of good crop rotation, and less travel time – all factors considered to affect nutrient content – seems to correlate well with these assertions.
To all who hate broccoli out there, this is no excuse to ignore the fruits and vegetables. No matter what your food choice – conventional or organic – fruits and vegetables are, hands down one of the best ways to get your daily nutrients. Organic food tends to be more expensive, without argument, and many simply can not afford the higher price. The question is what to do with this problem. Food is one of the few products we have to have, after all.
One way to rethink the situation is to analyze what we see as "more expensive". At this point, it can be a matter of perspective. In terms of nutrient content per calorie, conventionally grown foods do not seem to be the best business, after all. The money you save now on the grocery bill can go back ten times, in health related expenditure. The purchase of organic products in bulk, when possible, shopping in agricultural markets, joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups, cook at home, and growing a garden in the backyard can save time, cash, and the nutrient content and make it possible to purchase selections nutritious.
Nobody should have to choose between their budgets and nutrient levels. Our health is at stake, after all. One thing is certain in this unfortunate chemical soup that has become our product section, however: health is available.
Positive food choices have an effect positive in their overall health. Be aware of your health, and what you can do to safeguard certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, too.
About the Author:
Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Health Is Up For Sale in Texas: Nutrient Content of Crops Has Decreased In Recent Years
