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Is the nutrient content of our food falling?

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White PJ. et al. Historical variation in the mineral composition of edible horticultural products. J Hort Science & Biotech. 2005;80(6):660–667.
Davis DR. et al. Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6):669–82.
Scott MP. et al. Grain composition and amino acid content in maize cultivars representing 80 years of commercial maize varieties. Maydica. 2006;51:417–423.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2013

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In a nutshell

Historical food composition data and the growing of archived seeds suggest that the average content of some nutrients in many foods has decreased over the last century.

Although the changes are small in comparison with other factors affecting nutritional status, we might benefit if agriculture were to place greater focus on nutrient content, rather than just yield.

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Type
Brief Report
Information
Arbor Clinical Nutrition Updates , Volume 270 , January 2007 , pp. 1 - 3
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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