[Fwd: Fruits and Veggies not as Vitamin Rich as in the past]

[Guest guest]

* This report from ABC news.*

*Fruits, Veggies Not as Vitamin-Rich as in Past, Says New Data *

* Larger Fruits and Vegetables Mean More Plentiful but Less Potent

Bounty *

* By MEGAN CARPENTER *

** March 1, 2006 *** *

Of the 13 major nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, six have

declined substantially, according to a study by , a

biochemist at the University of Texas at Austin .

Using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, concludes that

recently grown crops have shown decreases of up to 38 percent in

protein, calcium, vitamin C, phosphorus, iron and riboflavin when

compared with produce from past decades.

What accounts for this negative trend? Like any other competitive

industry, farmers' attempts to drive up profits have led them to use new

techniques to increase production, said. The faster-grown fruits

don't have as much time to develop the nutrients.

" Farmers get paid by the weight of a crop, not by amount of nutrients, "

said. He called this the " dilution effect " : As fruits and

vegetables grown in the United States become larger and more plentiful,

they provide fewer vitamins and minerals.

" It's a simple inverse relationship: The higher the yield, the lower the

nutrients, " he said.

said this happens because slower-growing crops have more time to

absorb nutrients from both the sun and the soil.

" Lots of agricultural scientists don't know about this, and the public

doesn't know about this, " he said.

* Wheat Also Being Examined *

Jeff Cronin, at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said

scientists and the USDA often overlook farming practices.

" Breeding plants to improve crop yield at the expense of all other

things seems to be the problem, as well as depleting soil and not

rotating crops properly, " he said.

While is not pleased about the decreasing levels of nutrients in

produce, he still encourages people to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

" Even though amounts of nutrients have declined, fruits and vegetables

are still the richest source of protective nutrients, much better than

eating highly refined foods such as white flour, sugars and fatty

foods, " he said.

is currently researching the dilution effect in 14 varieties of

wheat. His findings already suggest that, once again, the larger the

yield of wheat, the lower the nutrients.

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