Because of consumer demand, the food industry focus is on producing fruits and vegetables that ship well, not nutrient content. How food is stored and processed has an impact on nutrition. The best defense against nutritionally depleted foods is careful supplementation followed by purchasing fresh foods as close to the source and organically grown whenever feasible.
Getting the most nutrition for every dollar spent is of great concern for those interested in maintaining good health. Yet for the average consumer, the nutrition derived from fresh food dollars has substantially decreased over the past three decades. Why is this happening and what can be done about it?
Everyone wants good nutrition from the foods we eat and we are encouraged to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Yet in light of the methods used to bring food to our tables, getting even minimal levels of nutrients from the foods we eat can be a challenge. Why is it such a challenge to get good nutrition from our most basic foods?
The answer lies in many of the habits of our modern lifestyle. We no longer live on farms, so our foods often must travel great distances from field to table. Because consumers demand produce with an attractive (read 'perfect') appearance, the food industry focus is on producing fruits and vegetables that ship well, not nutrient content. Picked green in the field and shipped in cold storage, many types of produce that look great in the store fail to produce optimal nutrients that develop only in the ripe state, or lose much of their nutrients in cold dark conditions. Examples of this are tomatoes and lettuce. Vine ripened tomatoes are proven to contain higher levels of beta-carotene, lycopene and soluble fiber than green picked fruit. Lettuce loses up to 46% of certain nutrients within 7 days of cold, dark storage.
Another reason for nutrient poor produce is the very soils they are grown in. Soils throughout North America have been depleted since the 'dust bowl' years of the 1930's. Soil depletion is a problem worldwide, because of poor farming methods that take from the soil without returning the minerals vital to good health. Modern methods replace only the minerals necessary for good plant growth, not trace minerals essential for human health. Although this trend is beginning to be reversed by today's organic farmer's careful cultivation of the soil, depletion continues to be a problem throughout the world with little attention paid to the contribution of trace minerals to good health.
How food is stored on the grocery shelf also has an impact on nutrition. Tomato juice retains vitamin C better in cans than in glass containers, whereas orange juice retains its vitamin C better in glass than plastic or glass containers. Vitamin K as well as some B vitamins is depleted by exposure to light, including fluorescent light present in grocery stores. For example, enriched pastas can lose up to 80% riboflavin content if stored in lighted conditions for just 12 weeks.
Other factors that influence nutritional quality of fresh fruits and vegetables include washing, preparation (chopping, slicing, etc.), and cooking and storage methods in the home. There are too many known variables in preserving food nutritional quality to list in this brief article. Yet, very little research has been done to fully determine nutrient losses in our modern food system.
There is a very good source available which summarizes much of what is known. Written by Jane Ramberg, MS and Bill McAnalley, PhD and titled, "From Farm to the Kitchen Table: A Review of the Nutrient Losses in Foods", published in the Glycoscience & Nutrition journal, September 1, 2002 issue, volume 3, number 5, this informative summary is the basis for information provided in this article. Anyone who desires a free copy of the entire summary may obtain one by contacting the author at the source listed in the author's bio.
The best defense against nutritionally depleted foods is careful supplementation followed by purchasing fresh foods as close to the source and organically grown whenever feasible. Maximizing your nutrition dollar by getting optimal nutrition from all sources is your best offensive move for maintaining good health.
Karen Walker is a home business consultant specializing in the health and wellness industry.
http://www.newamericanfamily.com
eMail to: http://www.newamericanfamily.com
car service from Midway Anna ..Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
Health food or heart attack on a plate? Eggs had... Read More
If you have a business trip tomorrow morning, you've probably... Read More
My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live... Read More
Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More
Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and... Read More
The Human Body is in a constant flux with the... Read More
"The physician who knows only medicine, knows not even medicine."... Read More
So, what is new about this that you already don't... Read More
Recently, trans fats have risen to the forefront of the... Read More
Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More
FOOD (Macro-nutrients)One of the most important aspects of hill walking... Read More
A fictional overheard conversation at a Thelma's Fine Dining.Hi, I'm... Read More
Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on... Read More
White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed... Read More
For a natural and tasty way to improve your health... Read More
The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More
It is a question we must ask ourselves continually if... Read More
Oats (botanical name Avena sativa)An oat is a grass that... Read More
The natural antioxidants in Oat Bran can significantly reduce blood... Read More
Constipation is the passing of dry, hard faeces fewer than... Read More
Here's a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and... Read More
First of all you have to have a bucket. You... Read More
Cholesterol finds its way into our bodies in two main... Read More
Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More
bmw rental chicago Verona ..Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?Communication! It permeates our... Read More
"It's not what you eat, it's what's eating you that... Read More
Following these simple nutrition guidelines will allow you to lose... Read More
It seems as if the health of America is failing.... Read More
For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played... Read More
Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More
Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document... Read More
The above foods contain high antioxidant capacity. These foods were... Read More
After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More
How often do you pick up items at the grocery... Read More
Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that... Read More
Although you may have heard about soy and all of... Read More
Anyone who has spent a day fasting from food, or... Read More
"You are what you eat."Does it sound familiar? You probably... Read More
Water is the single most important element for human existence,... Read More
For any kid who grew up eating doughy, thick Wonder... Read More
The Zone Diet has been around since around 1995, when... Read More
The natural antioxidants in Oat Bran can significantly reduce blood... Read More
Most of us equate the word diet with calorie reduction.... Read More
If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
Many of us sprinkle oregano on our pizza and stews... Read More
Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin like A and E.... Read More
OmegaRx Fish Oil, quoted as being close to a Medical... Read More
Nutrition |