Ideally we should be getting minerals in the food we eat, but the unfortunate reality is that the nutritional quality of our food is declining. In the book ‘The Composition of Food‘ by British chemists Robert McCance and Elsie Widdowson goes in-depth into the issue. In a later edition of the book David Tomas began comparing the nutritional quality of a variety of foods and compiled data gathered over a 50 year span. From raw vegetables and fruit, to meat and poultry, the results are startling.
Did you know:
- -Potatoes have 30% less magnesium, 35% less calcium, 45% less iron and 47% less copper
- -Carrots have 75% less magnesium, 48% less calcium, 46% less iron and 75% less copper
- -Broccoli (boiled) has 75% less calcium
- -Spinach (boiled) has 60% less iron and 96% less copper
- -Rutabaga have 71% less iron
- -Spring onion has 74% less calcium
- -Watercress has 93% less copper
- -All fruits contained 27% less zinc
- -Apples and oranges had 67% less iron
It’s not just fruit and veggies either:
- -Beef contained 38% less iron and 84% less copper
- -Chicken contained 15% less potassium 26% less phosphorous and 69% less iron
- -Turkey 71% less calcium and 79% less iron
- -Cheddar cheese 38% less magnesium 35% less potassium and 47% less iron and Parmesan cheese 70% less calcium and iron
- -Whole milk had 21% les magnesium and 63% less iron
As the data shows, the answer to the question posed in the title of the this article is yes. Yes, food is becoming less nutritious. Does this mean you should stop eating carrots or apples? Of course not. Eating a balanced and healthy diet is always a good thing, it just may also be a good idea to supplement these missing nutrients.
