Live data from Hacker News

Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

scientificamerican.com

11–20 of 239 posts

Re: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

#11
I would argue that it's less relevant whether produce has become less nutritious than in previous years, but that the more relevant question is whether it is still nutritious enough. There's not point in having excess vitamins, say, if most of it will not even be absorbed by your body.

That said, a second question is where the current trend is going to lead then. If we are on a steady decline in nutritiousness of our produce what is the projection for 50 years from now?

Re: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

#12
post #6
post #5

Blueberries that taste the same but are transparent in the middle. Tomatoes that tase water. Cucumber that look great and almost tasteless. You don't know what you are missing if you have never tasted the "real" deal.

Sure, but this is not about taste in the first place, it's about the nutritional value of your produce. After all, eating fulfills more than one purpose.

Yeah, but when formerly tasty you would eat for pleasure of it tomatos turn into paper, you wont eat them at all.

Re: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

#13
post #5

Blueberries that taste the same but are transparent in the middle. Tomatoes that tase water. Cucumber that look great and almost tasteless. You don't know what you are missing if you have never tasted the "real" deal.

I am certain that a vast majority of people have never tasted a "real" tomato.

Here in the UK (though I'm sure this applies globally), tomatoes sold in supermarkets taste like plastic. Reason being is that they are picked when they are green and they "ripen" by the time they get to the store shelf.

This is done because tomatoes are almost impossible to transfer safely in large quantities, because when they are ripe they are softer, bruise easily and they tend to go bad quickly.

So, grow your own tomatoes - it's surpisingly easy - and the taste is amazing.

Re: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

#16
post #6
post #5

Blueberries that taste the same but are transparent in the middle. Tomatoes that tase water. Cucumber that look great and almost tasteless. You don't know what you are missing if you have never tasted the "real" deal.

Sure, but this is not about taste in the first place, it's about the nutritional value of your produce. After all, eating fulfills more than one purpose.

Just like software. If there is bad design, several bugs on your first run and you can't find the documentation: It is probably just the top of the iceberg.

Re: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

#17

Well, who here buys their vegetables based on nutrition? Who even knows how nutritious their particular vegetables are (probably not if you have a lab)? Companies optimize for what customers will pay for, and everything else falls by the wayside.

Companies optimize for what customers will pay for

Could be, but arent't there other mechanisms? Like companies optimizing for profit, then using advertisement to lure customers in paying for it?

Re: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

#19
post #10
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but this is not about taste in the first place, it's about the nutritional value of your produce. After all, eating fulfills more than one purpose.

Wouldn't be surprised if there's a relation between taste and nutritional value though.

Well, taste is subjective - nutritional value less so.

Re: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious? (2011)

#20

Well, who here buys their vegetables based on nutrition? Who even knows how nutritious their particular vegetables are (probably not if you have a lab)? Companies optimize for what customers will pay for, and everything else falls by the wayside.

In the US, companies optimize for what they can industrialize and ship out to an entire country regardless of locality. And customers want is changing pretty quickly. But for me, the “standard” grocery store produce aisle hasn’t changed much at all in the last few decades - mostly just organics that again are optimized for national supply chains and away from taste.
Post reply on HN