Have Your Foods Lost Their Nutritional Value?
From fruits and vegetables to green tea and olive oil, some of the healthiest foods may no longer have their full nutritional value by the time they make it to your plate or cup.
Because of modern farming methods and food storage methods/time, nutrient levels may not be at their optimum levels when you eat even the healthiest of foods. Find out some reasons why, and how to get the most out of your food choices.
Farming and Soil Depletion
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Today's conventionally grown produce isn't as healthful as it used to be. The selective breeding and synthetic fertilizers used by the farming industry to grow bigger vegetables faster may reduce produce's ability to absorb nutrients from the soil.
In 2004, a team analyzed 43 fruits and vegetables from 1950 to 1999 and reported reductions in vitamins, minerals, and protein. Broccoli, for example, had 130 mg of calcium in 1950, but only 48 mg today.
Here are a few tips for choosing and preparing produce so it packs the highest nutritional punch:
• Buy organic when possible. A ten-year study showed that organic tomatoes can have as much as 30 percent more phytochemicals than conventional ones.
• Local means fresher, so find farmers' markets or pick-your-own farms for freshly harvested, in-season fare that's had a chance to ripen naturally-a process that increases its amount of phytonutrients.
• Look for bold or brightly hued produce, which indicates a higher phytonutrient count.
• Buy smaller-sized produce items. Plants have a finite amount of nutrients they can pass on to their fruit, so smaller produce has .a more concentrated level of nutrients.
• Don't always eat them raw, as some vegetables release more nutrients when cooked. Steaming is best for broccoli and carrots; tomatoes release more lycopene when lightly sauteed or roasted.
• Eat produce within a week as the nutrients start to diminish as soon as they're picked.
• Expand your range of produce choices as different colors offer different nutrients; the more varied your diet is, the more vitamins and minerals you'll get.
• Eat items whole, as much as possible. The peels and skins often have the most nutrients, and chopping or shredding too far in advance can reduce nutrients.
Food Storage
Many items that are considered somewhat non-perishable can actually lose valuable nutrients in your pantry, cupboard or on your shelf.
• Green tea's antioxidant catechins decrease an average of 32% after 6 months on the shelf as they are sensitive to both oxygen and light. Buy tea in airtight packages such as tins, rather than cellophane wraps and store your tea bags in sealed, opaque canisters in a cool spot.
• Olive oil's antioxidant potency declined 40% after 6 months according to a 2009 study. If yours sits on the shelf for that long, buy smaller bottles, and don't store it near the stove or leave it uncapped for long, as it's sensitive to oxygen, heat, and light,.
• Tomato products such as canned juice and ketchup lose their lycopene content over time (up to 50% after 3 months for tomato juice). Make your own tomato sauce using boxed whole or diced tomatoes (not pureed), and buy smaller bottles of ketchup if it tends to sit in your refrigerator for a long time.
• The vitamin C in orange juice diminishes by almost 50% after just 7 days open in the fridge. Try making your own from frozen orange juice concentrate, which starts with higher vitamin C levels, and drink it within a week.
• Herbs and spices lose not only color and flavor over time, but also nutritional value. For example, the capsaicin in chili powder decreased continuously during 9 months of storage. Buy spices in glass jars instead of plastic when possible, and store them out of direct sunlight and away from the heat of the stove.
• Milk and dairy products are very sensitive to their storage environment. Fat-free milk in transparent glass bottles loses more than 10% of its immunity-boosting vitamin A after just 2 hours in the dairy case, so buy milk in cartons instead. The riboflavin in cheese depletes drastically when exposed to fluorescent lights, like those in most stores; buy cheese wrapped in wax paper, and store in an opaque drawer in your fridge.
• Berry jams lose some of their potent flavonoids and anthocyanins over time – 23% after two months for blueberry jam (although sugar-free varieties fared better) and 12% after 6 months for strawberry jam. Keep jams in the fridge even before opening to preserve the anthocyanins.
• Potatoes lose, on average, 40% of their vitamin C after 8 months, even when stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Farmers often store them up to 5 months before shipping, so the process is well underway by the time you get them. Buy only what you can eat in a few weeks, and keep them in paper sacks.
• The riboflavin in enriched grains and flours decreases rapidly when exposed to light – a 50% reduction after only one day of full light, up to 80% after 3 months in dim light. The folic acid in enriched flour is also sensitive to both light and oxygen. Store grains in opaque ceramic containers, in a dry, cool, dark cupboard.
Make the most of your healthy choices by being aware of what factors can deplete your food's nutritional value and taking steps to counter them as much as possible. But even with all your best efforts, you may not be getting the nutrient levels you need on a regular basis from food alone. New and Improved Basic Nutrient Support is a simple, convenient way to ensure you get the optimal amounts of 80+ vitamins, minerals, specialized antioxidants, herbs, plant extracts and essential fatty acids each day.
