Every now and then, we stress upon the fact of eating lots of fruits and vegetables as they are packed with nutrients. They are said to be the best way to provide nutrition to the body and boost immunity. Every season comes with a variety of grains, vegetables, and fruits and we can’t agree more that they are tastier than the stored ones. However, do you know with time the nutrition value of fruits and vegetables are declining? Yes, you read that right. With time, due to various reasons that nutrition in fruits and vegetables have declined tremendously leaving us with various deficiencies.
Why is it happening?
According to a National Geographic report, the experts find the root of the problem in the quality of soil. In the last few decades, the soil quality has been compromised due to various reasons including excessive chemical use, fertilisers, irrigation and so on. The harvesting methods have changed from natural ways to machineries which has also taken a dig at the health of the soil. Apart from it, due to global warming and climate change, the atmospheric temperature is rising and making the soil lose its moisture even more that do not hold the crops well putting them in risk of losing nutrition.
The report also states that due to carbon dioxide increase in the air, the nutrient content of the fruits, vegetables and other crops are pulling down.
Why is it harmful?
David R. Montgomery, a professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington in Seattle emphasis on one of the major risks of the lower nutrient value, that is making our immunity low. According to him, “Nutrient decline is going to leave our bodies with fewer of the components they need to mount defences against chronic diseases — it’s going to undercut the value of food as preventive medicine,” state National Geographic.
Who are more at risk?
Kristie Ebi, an expert in climate change and health at the University of Washington in Seattle explains, “Wheat and rice compose more than 30 percent of calories consumed around the world. Anyone whose diet relies heavily on these grains, particularly low-income populations, could be affected by decreasing consumption of protein, B vitamins, and micronutrients. These dietary changes could lead to deficiencies, such as iron-deficiency anaemia in women and girls.”
With the changing times, doctors often advise people to switch to fruit and vegetable-based diets. Also, the veganism trend is increasing day by day. Therefore, people who are solely dependent on plant-based diet are more at risk in comparison to people who consume dairy and animal meat.
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