It’s Offical: Supermarket Produce = LOLZ

But is Organic any better?

Although far from the first study on the nutritional value of supermarket produce, Time just posted an article about a report in the Journal of HortScience that claims supermarket veggies are “5% to 40% lower in minerals (including magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc) than those harvested just 50 years ago.”

 

A quote from the article says:

“Less studied, though, is the “genetic dillution effect,” in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli grown in 1996 and ‘97 in South Carolina. Because nearly 90% of dry matter is carbohydrates, “when breeders select for high yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield..

 Nestled at the end of the article, the author suggests buying Organic produce instead. While I think this is a good idea, in some ways, what is not pointed out is that, more often than not, the same hybrids that have been ‘genetically diluted’ through selective breeding on non-organic farms are grown on organic farms as well.

 Organic farms also regularly harvest vegetables prematurely for longer shipping and shelf life, just like non-organic farms. There may be something to be said that a wider range of nutrients are present in organic soil, but that’s not the main culprit here from what I understand.

 This is why it’s so important to preserve and grow Heirloom vegetables!