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Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#301
post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what Chinese strawberries are like, but I always figured that American strawberries are watery and sour because they're not only big, but they're also grown too quickly for flavor to develop. I think they're engineered to artificially mature early and are basically still unripe.

I have had amazing and bland Strawberries from Safeway in the US. Not sure how to pick the good ones. Time of year?

I too have had this experience. Now I always sample one from a pack before I buy. I used to feel guilty doing that, but the quality varies so much and I got sick of wasting fruit purchases when they turn out to be sour or gross. Same with grapes and blueberries from Costco.

Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Growing food has turned into an engineering problem where people think you solve it by investing the least possible resources into it. Our economic system optimizes for exactly this.

You optimize for what you can measure. Food and consumer products will have to change greatly when hand-held tricorders let you compare nutritional value of two foods, or the amount of harmful chemicals on the surface of an item.

While we wait for Star Trek magic, our economic system refuses to account for its inability to maintain a robust, sustainable and healthy agriculture industry, or its destruction of the environment.

Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it just because they are giant? I’ve had relatively big strawberries that are sweet and flavorful in China. But in the US, they taste like cucumber plus citrus, no sweetness, no aroma, just incredibly sour and watery.

I don't know what Chinese strawberries are like, but I always figured that American strawberries are watery and sour because they're not only big, but they're also grown too quickly for flavor to develop. I think they're engineered to artificially mature early and are basically still unripe.

It's really weird to me that people are generalizing this by nationality. Sure, a lot of supermarket strawberries are terrible. They also frequently (but not always) come from outside the US. Some are ok, and some people get flavorful ones somehow, because I've had excellent quality ones with dessert in a restaurant. Also, there are farmer's markets and stands, even though I'm not in the habit of going to them.

Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People have put up with a lot of shit -- literal and metaphorical -- over the last ten thousand years. I don't understand the assumption that it simply must be better than anything chemistry has to offer, and I find the aversion to measurement and control inherently suspicious.

The problem with how you're framing this is that the scientific methods that go into such developments don't take into account certain "externalities". Measurement and control can only be exercised inasmuch as you can understand the totality of the system. In this case: broader effects on human health and ecosystems. As someone with a strong scientific background, it sometimes seems to me that the science and enginee…

Of course. I'd never suggest that soil science is complete or perfect -- but it's at least falsifiable. It can be meaningfully discussed, debated, compared, reproduced (or not), and improved. Insofar as alternative strategies can be held to that minimal standard, I absolutely agree that we should welcome them.

However, there's a lot of non-falsifiable marketing woo out there, and it needs to be held accountable for that deficiency. If we don't, the woo wins every time, because it can't be held accountable for its problems, and we lose our ability to collectively learn and improve.

Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm talking about psychedelic induced direct experiences of the point of life as utter selflessness and infinite love.

Are you ready to use violence to enforce your religion of love? There is no way in hell I'd willingly submit to you drugging me.

Notice that the devil is what makes you think you're separate from God. And for your statement to be true for you you'd literally have to be in hell ...

Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#307
post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm talking about psychedelic induced direct experiences of the point of life as utter selflessness and infinite love.

Weird that it requires a special compound to give you a direct experience of this. You’d think that if the point of life was selflessness and love, this would be more obvious. Also, what do you think of the people whose medicine comes from the coca plant, who have direct experience that the point of life is greed and self-satisfaction?

It sounds like you have no experience with cocaine, and no experience with psychedelics ... I can understand this position coming from ignorance, so I don't blame you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TazyFTavMyA

Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#308
post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weird that it requires a special compound to give you a direct experience of this. You’d think that if the point of life was selflessness and love, this would be more obvious. Also, what do you think of the people whose medicine comes from the coca plant, who have direct experience that the point of life is greed and self-satisfaction?

It sounds like you have no experience with cocaine, and no experience with psychedelics ... I can understand this position coming from ignorance, so I don't blame you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TazyFTavMyA

Firstly you are just wrong.

I have experience of both, especially psychedelics, and I am familiar with and have been involved in research on the topic.

Secondly, your reasoning is clearly impaired because you drew a conclusion for which you obviously don’t have any facts to support.

Thirdly, you lept to defend an ungrounded claim that a particular drug experience gives access to spiritual truth. Temporary distortions of experience can be valuable but to quote from a famous drug culture movie, “why trust one drug and not another?”.

This is an extraordinary claim that requires serious examination.

Your reflexive defense suggests that you have lost sight of this.

These kinds of failures of reasoning are attributed to psychedelics by even the most optimistic of researchers.

See this article by one of the world’s leading researcher in the field: http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/71/3/316?fbclid=Iw...

The section ‘what about the woo’ in particular talks about the problem.

I think psychedelics can be very positive, but they can also damage your ability to reason.

As a temporary tradeoff this may well be a reasonable price to pay for relief from trauma.

It’s a red flag when you start proclaiming that psychedelics are the door to experienced of fundamental truth and you are unable to reason about it.

This kind of thinking is a symptom that you haven’t addressed the side effects the psychedelics have had on you.

Re: Estimates that mineral levels in vegetables have dropped by up to 90% since 1914

#309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too don't understand this attitude. Vegans exist and are not all ill. Clearly animal products are not required for good health. It's certainly possible that meat makes getting all necessary vitamins easier and it takes great diligence as a vegan.

From my experience they are. They gain a ton of weight, loses muscles, hair, skin softness, become weak, emotionally unstable and underproductive. Almost all women experience menopause, and some lost their ability to reproduce. Becoming a vegan and getting nutrients you need is especially hard and almost all vegans fail on that.

Those are just some random anecdotes that aren't based on facts or anything remotely scientific. Do you have any sources to back up your claims?
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