Nutrient Values in Foods Today

In 1936, in the 74th U.S. Congress, a Florida Senator had placed on the Congressional record the following statement: “Poor farming methods have led to mineral-depleted soils resulting in mineral-deficient plants, livestock, and people…the alarming fact is that foods now being raised on millions of acres of land, that no longer contain enough of certain minerals, are starving us – no matter how much of them we eat. No man of today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply his system with the minerals he requires for perfect health because his stomach isn't big enough to hold them. Laboratory tests prove that the fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and even the milk and meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago. It is bad news to learn from our leading authorities that 99 percent of the American people are deficient in these minerals.”
This quote was made in 1936, seventy-two years ago. Do you think the quality of our food has improved or declined over the seventy-two years since that statement was made?

America produces more food than ever before, but the evidence is building that the vitamins and minerals in that food are declining. Take for example two eggs. One egg has a bright orange yolk and is from an organically raised free-range chicken. Another egg has a pale yolk and is a supermarket egg from a hen raised indoors on a factory farm. The egg from the organic free-range hen contains up to 30 percent more vitamin E, 50 percent more folic acid and 30 percent more vitamin B-12 than the factory egg. The bright orange color of the yolk shows higher levels of antioxidant carotenes. Factory-farm egg producers may feed their hens marigold flowers to make the yolks brighter in color to give the appearance of good nutritional value.

Vital vitamins and minerals have dramatically declined in some of our most popular foods. The average potato has lost 100 per cent of its vitamin A, which is important for good eyesight; 57 per cent of its vitamin C and iron, a key component of healthy blood; and 28 per cent of its calcium, essential for building healthy bones and teeth. It also lost 50 per cent of its riboflavin and 18 per cent of its thiamine. The story is similar for the other 25 fruits and vegetables that were analyzed in this study.

Phil Warman, an agronomist and professor of agricultural, said there is no doubt the nutritional content of food is different today, due to the emphasis on producing cheap food. "The emphasis is on appearance, storability and transportability, and there has been much less emphasis on the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables,". Today, crops are bred to produce higher yields, to be resistant to disease and to produce more visually attractive fruits and vegetables, but little or no emphasis is placed on their vitamin or mineral content. Dr. Warman said consumers should care about the issue because it is the nutrients, not the appearance, that gives food it’s value. "I care because I want to eat a product that is as high in nutritional value as possible. Otherwise, I would eat sawdust with nitrogen fertilizer," he said.

Tim Lang, a professor at the Centre for Food Policy states you would have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of vitamin A your grandparents got from a single orange. And you would need to eat five to get the same level of iron.
Organic crops appear to be higher in vitamin C, essential minerals and phytonutrients, according to the report prepared for The Soil Association of the United Kingdom. An Italian study has found organic pears, peaches and oranges had higher antioxidant levels than their conventional counterparts. Organic fruits and vegetables have only a third as many pesticide residues as their conventionally grown counterparts, according to a study by Consumers Union (CU) and the Organic Materials Review Institute. Reporting on its study examining pesticide residues in foods bought around America, Consumer Reports, January 1998, noted: "Our side-by-side tests of organic, green-labeled, and conventional unlabeled produce found that organic foods had consistently minimal or nonexistent pesticide residue."

To sum up, organic food generally has greater nutrient content and fewer toxins for our body to absorb than does conventionally grown food. However, even the best organic food today does not contain the nutrients we require to sustain 100% health. This is where whole food supplements come into the picture for sustained health.

Dr. Harris is a nutritional consultant and can be reached at 760-969-5063. For the full length version of this editorial, request a copy by email at: drjimharris@earthlink.net.


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Nutrient Values in Foods Today By Dr. Jim Harris In 1936, in the 74th U.S. Congress, a Florida Senator had placed on the Congressional record the following statement: “Poor farming methods have led to mineral-depleted soils resulting in mineral-deficient plants, livestock, and people…the alarming fact is that foods now being raised on millions of acres of land, that no longer contain enough of certain minerals, are starving us – no matter how much of them we eat. No man of today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply his system with the minerals he requires for perfect health because his stomach isn't big enough to hold them. Laboratory tests prove that the fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and even the milk and meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago. It is bad news to learn from our leading authorities that 99 percent of the American people are deficient in these minerals.” This quote was made in 1936, seventy-two years ago. Do you think the quality of our food has improved or declined over the seventy-two years since that statement was made? America produces more food than ever before, but the evidence is building that the vitamins and minerals in that food are declining. Take for example two eggs. One egg has a bright orange yolk and is from an organically raised free-range chicken. Another egg has a pale yolk and is a supermarket egg from a hen raised indoors on a factory farm. The egg from the organic free-range hen contains up to 30 percent more vitamin E, 50 percent more folic acid and 30 percent more vitamin B-12 than the factory egg. The bright orange color of the yolk shows higher levels of antioxidant carotenes. Factory-farm egg producers may feed their hens marigold flowers to make the yolks brighter in color to give the appearance of good nutritional value. Vital vitamins and minerals have dramatically declined in some of our most popular foods. The average potato has lost 100 per cent of its vitamin A, which is important for good eyesight; 57 per cent of its vitamin C and iron, a key component of healthy blood; and 28 per cent of its calcium, essential for building healthy bones and teeth. It also lost 50 per cent of its riboflavin and 18 per cent of its thiamine. The story is similar for the other 25 fruits and vegetables that were analyzed in this study. Phil Warman, an agronomist and professor of agricultural, said there is no doubt the nutritional content of food is different today, due to the emphasis on producing cheap food. "The emphasis is on appearance, storability and transportability, and there has been much less emphasis on the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables,". Today, crops are bred to produce higher yields, to be resistant to disease and to produce more visually attractive fruits and vegetables, but little or no emphasis is placed on their vitamin or mineral content. Dr. Warman said consumers should care about the issue because it is the nutrients, not the appearance, that gives food it’s value. "I care because I want to eat a product that is as high in nutritional value as possible. Otherwise, I would eat sawdust with nitrogen fertilizer," he said. Tim Lang, a professor at the Centre for Food Policy states you would have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of vitamin A your grandparents got from a single orange. And you would need to eat five to get the same level of iron. Organic crops appear to be higher in vitamin C, essential minerals and phytonutrients, according to the report prepared for The Soil Association of the United Kingdom. An Italian study has found organic pears, peaches and oranges had higher antioxidant levels than their conventional counterparts. Organic fruits and vegetables have only a third as many pesticide residues as their conventionally grown counterparts, according to a study by Consumers Union (CU) and the Organic Materials Review Institute. Reporting on its study examining pesticide residues in foods bought around America, Consumer Reports, January 1998, noted: "Our side-by-side tests of organic, green-labeled, and conventional unlabeled produce found that organic foods had consistently minimal or nonexistent pesticide residue." To sum up, organic food generally has greater nutrient content and fewer toxins for our body to absorb than does conventionally grown food. However, even the best organic food today does not contain the nutrients we require to sustain 100% health. This is where whole food supplements come into the picture for sustained health. Dr. Harris is a nutritional consultant and can be reached at 760-969-5063. For the full length version of this editorial, request a copy by email at: drjimharris@earthlink.net.