According to research published in The Journal of HortScience, produce now lacks not only the taste, but also the amount of nutrients it had just 50 years ago.
Vegetables today are larger, but contain more “dry matter” which dilutes the concentrations of minerals. This results in 5% to 40% less magnesium, iron, calcium, and zinc.
Selective breeding to increase crop yields has let to genetic dilution, which has also in turn caused declines in protein and amino acid levels in produce.
Because of the increased use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, crops are now harvested so quickly that the plant has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil.
This seems to be more proof that the industrialization of agriculture is a dangerous and slippery slope, and supporting organics is extremely important to our future.
Image credit: Ramson on flickr Creative Commons.
