Why modern fruits and vegetables may contain fewer nutrients
Researchers explain that farming practices and crop breeding have reduced micronutrient levels in many foods, but a varied diet can still support good health.
David Montgomery, a geology professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, reviewed roughly a thousand peer-reviewed studies on nutrient content in food while writing his book "What Your Food Ate." He found that macronutrient levels in food have not changed significantly in recent decades, but micronutrients such as iron and zinc have declined in many products.
The cause behind the decline
Montgomery attributes this to a "dilution effect": when cereal varieties are bred for higher yields, the same amount of nutrients gets spread across a larger volume of grain, lowering concentration per grain. Soil health also plays a major role — practices like tilling and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides disrupt the balance of fungi and microorganisms in soil, reducing plants' ability to absorb nutrients and phytochemicals, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. He advocates regenerative farming methods that minimize physical and chemical disturbance to soil.
What consumers can do
Astrid Donalies, a nutrition expert at Germany's Federal Centre for Nutrition, says dietary variety matters more than the nutrient decline itself — today's consumers have access to a far wider range of fruits and vegetables year-round than previous generations did. She recommends choosing local, seasonal produce, which tends to be fresher and has a smaller environmental footprint.
Silke Restemeyer of the German Nutrition Society notes that diets rich in fruits and vegetables are linked to lower rates of hypertension, heart disease and stroke, and possibly lower rates of cancer and dementia. She recommends including legumes, nuts and whole-grain products, which reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Her overall advice: eat more plant-based and whole-grain foods, and less meat and sugary soft drinks.
