Why Isn't Our Food As Nutritious As It Used To Be?

Kale. Coconut oil. Green juice. Never before have so many Americans been focused on the quality of their food: gluten-free certifications, zero-sugar badges, certified-organic labels, and non-GMO stamps. Now more than ever, people recognize that eating good food is the pathway to good health. And for some, it’s natural to assume: ‘I can get all of the nutrients I need through a healthy diet.’ However, that's simply not the case… anymore.

The idea that you can get all of your key nutrients from diet alone may have been true 50-100 years ago when homegrown and locally-sourced foods from small-scale farms was not only prevalent, it was the way of life. Families commenced at the dinner table for home cooked meals, and the ingredients used to make them were harvested fresh from the local community, keeping nutrient-dense values in their prime. But now? The nature of our food, and how we obtain it, has changed dramatically.

As a result, 9 out of 10 Americans are now lacking key nutrients in their diet.

Even if you eat a balanced diet abundant in fresh fruits and vegetables, wholesome grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, the idea that you can get all the nutrients you need through your diet is no longer a reliable notion. The reasons are vast and complex, but these three components are the biggest contributing factors:

1. Soil and Nutrient Depletion.

Scientists define a vitamin as a compound essential for life. And since we cannot manufacture most of these vitamins on our own, they can come only from the food we eat every day. Yet, it has been well documented that our food supply isn't as rich in nutrients as it once was. In fact, many of the fruits and vegetables we eat today are lower in vitamins and minerals than those our grandparents ate. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition that compared USDA nutritional data on 43 vegetables and fruits in 1950 and 1999 found that the foods showed up to 38% declines in protein, calcium, potassium, iron, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. According to researcher Donald Davis, additional nutrients not studied in 1950 — magnesium, zinc, and vitamins B6 and E — also have likely declined.

2. Premature Harvesting and Longer Transportation Times.

Produce is being harvested earlier to accommodate longer transports in both national and global agriculture. There are two real issues here…

Premature harvesting: Think of a plant attached to its vine like a baby attached to its umbilical cord. The vine is the nutrient source. It brings nutrients up from the soil through the roots and draws minerals into the fruit of the plant. The problem that we now face is that our fruits and vegetables are being harvested prematurely and then falsely ripened with ethane gasses en route to your local supermarket. Premature harvesting reduces the time the plant stays on its vine causing less nutrients to get from the soil to the plant.

Transportation time: Nutrients in plants begin declining the moment they are picked from their vine - essentially, this is when the plant begins rotting due to rapid nutrient declines since it’s no longer attached to its nutrient source - the vine! The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate. The broccoli you buy in February was probably grown in California or Mexico and spent a week or so in the bed of an 18-wheeler before you bought it. Conventional food can spend as many as 7-14 days in transit before it arrives in the supermarket. Our ever-expanding food system is causing us to miss out on valuable nutrients because of the times it takes to get from farm to fork.

3. Food Contamination and Environmental Chemicals.

Conventional produce is often grown with the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and insecticides, growth hormones and antibiotics. It is usually irradiated, contains genetically engineered organisms (GEOs) and/or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and can be grown using sewage sludge fertilizer. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture data found that two-thirds of non-organic produce has detectable pesticide residues. The average person eating non-organic produce consumes approximately 16 pounds of chemical pesticides every year. Needless to say, this concentration of toxic residue entering our system dampens our ability to thrive. They make our bodies work harder, putting addition strain on our nutrient needs to support these detoxification pathways.

So what can you do?

While we might not be able to control the world, we can control what goes on our plate and into our bodies. Here are three things you can do to maximize your nutrition:

1. Buy local or sign up for a CSA.

   Locally grown foods have less transportation time from farm to table, and small-scale farms generally support regenerative agriculture practices. Local foods don’t require preservatives or premature harvesting, and therefore are fresher and have greater nutritional profiles. Sourcing local foods is also an act of voting with your dollar. By supporting local agriculture, you’re investing in your community AND earth-friendly farming. You can find your nearby farms, farmer’s markets, and CSA’s on Local Harvest.

2. Choose organic.

   Rich in trace minerals and other phytonutrients, healthy soil naturally boosts plants’ immunity, believed to contribute to higher nutrient levels in organic foods. A 2014 review of research published in the British Journal of Nutrition confirmed that organic foods contain higher concentrations of antioxidants on average than conventionally grown foods—and that conventional foods contain greater concentrations of pesticides and toxic heavy metals like cadmium.

   Organic agriculture preserves biodiversity, improves soil health and saves energy. But less than one percent of our farmland is dedicated to growing organic crops. If we invested more in organic farming, we’d not only protect the environment, but we’d make organic food more affordable and accessible for everyone – meaning more clean, healthy food for our families, grown right here in the United States.

3. Supplement wisely.

   When I became a nutritionist, I vowed to help my clients get their best nutrition from food first, because no amount of supplements will ever replace a healthy diet. And while getting nutrients from food is always best, even if you eat perfectly 100% of the time (and who's perfect?), lifestyle, stress, and compromised soil lead to nutritional gaps. Quality food-based nutritional formulas can flood your system and supply your cells with essential nutrients needed for optimized health. If you're looking to start a supplement regimen, a customized plan that’s tailored to your specific nutritional needs is the best place to start.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease.

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