Is it true that food nowadays is not as delicious as before?

In the past, when food resources were scarce, it was a big problem to solve the problem of food and clothing, not to mention how to eat nutritionally balanced food. Because of the shortage of food, many poems and songs expressing the problem of food and clothing emerged in ancient times.

"I hope that all people will be well fed and clothed, and will not hesitate to work hard to leave the mountains and forests."

"As long as all living beings are fed, I will not hesitate to lie down in the setting sun even if I am sick."

Nowadays, food and shelter are no longer a problem, but there is increasing evidence that the food we eat is becoming less nutritious! In addition, the elderly often complain about the food on the table: the food nowadays is tasteless and not delicious!

Does this mean that after finally being able to eat enough, we will suffer from malnutrition again? And have to endure a worse taste?

Alas! You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Is today’s food really low in nutrition and tasteless? Will it lead to malnutrition? This article will talk about why many foods today are not as good as they used to be, and finally give you some tips on how to achieve a balanced diet.

01

Has the nutritional value of modern agricultural products been reduced?

For modern people, diet is not only about solving the problem of food and clothing, but also about whether the nutrient intake is sufficient. If the diet is malnourished for a long time, it will induce a variety of diseases.

For example, lack of vitamin C will not only lead to decreased immunity and bleeding gums, but also induce scurvy in severe cases; lack of vitamin B will affect the health of the skin and mucous membranes; iron deficiency will lead to anemia; zinc deficiency will lead to taste disorders and affect children's growth and development; calcium deficiency will lead to osteoporosis...

What is disturbing is that more and more studies have confirmed that the nutrient content of modern agricultural products is getting lower and lower. This means that we get less nutrition from eating the same food than before.

For example, the carotene content of mango in the "Chinese Food Composition Table" in 1991 was 8050 micrograms/100 grams, while the carotene content of mango in the "Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition" published in 2018 was reduced to 897 micrograms/100 grams; in the "Chinese Food Composition Table" in 1991, the vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 contents per 100 grams of yellow cornmeal were 0.26 mg and 0.09 mg respectively, while in the "Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition", the vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 contents per 100 grams of yellow cornmeal were reduced to 0.07 mg and 0.04 mg respectively, and the content of minerals iron, zinc and selenium have all decreased.

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In 2018, researchers from Harvard University published a paper in the British journal Nature Climate Change, mentioning the impact of climate change on food nutrition. The rising global carbon dioxide level will make the nutritional value of agricultural products lower and lower. It is estimated that by 2050, 175 million people in the world will be deficient in zinc and 122 million people will be deficient in protein.

In addition, a study published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2020 evaluated the changes in wheat grain yield and nutritional quality over the past 166 years based on wheat grain quality analysis of samples collected between 1850 and 2016. The results showed that the protein content in wheat decreased by 23% from 1955 to 2016, and the content of manganese, iron, zinc and magnesium also decreased significantly. [1]

Based on multiple studies, many modern foods are indeed not as nutritious as they used to be.

02

Why do nutrition and flavor shrink?

In addition to the impact of climate change, human factors are also a major factor affecting the nutrient content of food, such as planting methods, transportation and food processing.

① Planting method: In the past, crops were almost all planted outdoors, but now, in order to increase yields, a large number of crops are planted in greenhouses. Compared with the two methods, vegetables grown in greenhouses may be inferior to those grown outdoors in some nutritional aspects, such as vitamin C, which is of great concern to everyone. [2]

In addition, due to factors such as temperature and light, the flavor of fruits and vegetables grown in greenhouses is not as good as those grown outdoors. For example, increased light intensity will increase the vitamin C, soluble sugar, soluble solid content and sugar-acid ratio of tomato fruits, and reduce the organic acid content, all of which will affect the taste of fruits and vegetables. [3]

At the same temperature, the lower the light intensity, the weaker the photosynthesis of vegetables, the worse the quality and flavor. This is one of the reasons why many people say that today's fruits and vegetables are "tasteless."

The author still has deep feelings about this matter. Compared with the carrots bought from the farmer’s market, the carrots grown at home are simply the “tasty ceiling of the carrot world”!

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② Transportation: In order to ensure the quality of fruits and vegetables during the shelf life, many fruits and vegetables are picked before they are fully ripe. During the long storage and transportation process, the nutritional value of the food will inevitably decrease.

③ Food processing: In order to facilitate today's life, there are all kinds of processed foods on the market, such as biscuits, sausages, dried fruits, dried sweet potatoes, pickles, etc. The process of food processing will lead to a large amount of nutrient loss.

03

Will we become malnourished?

Many people may be worried that since the nutrition of food has been reduced, will they suffer from malnutrition? In fact, there is no need to worry.

First of all, although the nutrient content of most foods has decreased, we now have a wide variety of food! In the past, due to limited conditions, we basically had to eat whatever vegetables were available in our own fields. For example, in rural areas of Northeast China, most of the vegetables were eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbages, celery, leeks, carrots, and radishes. Eating them all the time was really greasy. We usually had a big bowl of rice with a little bit of vegetables to fill our stomachs.

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But now it is different. We can not only eat the dishes at home, but also the dishes from all over the world. Southerners can eat northern dishes, and northerners can also taste southern dishes. Diverse food can not only provide a variety of nutrients, but also enrich our table and promote appetite.

Secondly, the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommends that people eat a variety of foods and eat 300-500 grams of vegetables every day, of which dark vegetables with richer nutrition should account for more than half of the total amount of vegetables. In addition, you should eat about half a pound of fruit, 300-500 grams of milk, 1 egg, 2 taels of meat, 10 grams of nuts, 25 grams of soybeans, and at least 4 bowls of rice per meal. If you eat strictly according to the recommendations of the guidelines, you don't have to worry about malnutrition.

04

How to maximize the nutritional value of food?

If you want to get more nutrition from the same ingredients, you must master some methods. Here are 5 tips for you to make your meals more nutritious.

① Food processing: Before cooking, the food must be processed first, and improper processing will lead to the loss of food nutrients. For example, many people in the north will use salt to "kill" the food when cooking, squeeze out the water and then cook, which will lose most of the water-soluble vitamins.

For example, when making a stir-fried Chinese cabbage, data shows that if the Chinese cabbage is cut into sections, the loss of vitamin C is about 30%, while if it is cut into thin strips, the loss will be 51%. The finer the cuts, the more nutrients are lost. [4] For another example, the more times you wash rice, the more B vitamins are lost.

② Wash before cutting: Cutting before washing will cause water-soluble vitamins and minerals to be lost from the cut, so it is best to wash the vegetables first and then cut them.

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③ Cooking methods: Compared with steaming, boiling, stewing, and cold dishes, high-temperature cooking methods such as frying and roasting will cause food to lose more nutrients. For example, when frying food, the higher the oil temperature, the more severe the oxidation and decomposition of vitamin A, and some vitamin A will also dissolve in the oil and be lost. However, adding flaxseed oil to cold dishes is not only delicious, but also promotes the absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamin A.

If you are cooking, it is recommended to use a quick stir-fry method, which can shorten the heating time of vegetables and reduce nutrient loss. However, some legumes contain saponins and lectins, which need to be fully heated before they can be eaten. If you are making soup, it is recommended to add the vegetables to the soup to avoid long-term boiling water to accelerate nutrient loss.

Eat cooked dishes as soon as possible and do not reheat them.

④ Use spices: Spices not only enhance the flavor of dishes, they also contain antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which can reduce the loss of nutrients in vegetables during cooking.

A study compared the polyphenol and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of 14 commonly used spices. The results showed that among chili pepper, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, angelica dahurica, cardamom, galangal, tsaoko, star anise, cloves, black pepper, bay leaf, licorice, tangerine peel, and fennel, cloves had the strongest antioxidant capacity, followed by cinnamon and Sichuan pepper. [5]

⑤ Increase the intake of whole grains: Refined white rice and flour are foods that have been ground and processed, and have lost a lot of nutrients, so it is recommended to increase the intake of whole grains in your diet.

The 2022 edition of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" specifically emphasizes eating 50 to 150 grams of whole grains and beans every day. It is a good idea to make whole grain and bean rice, replacing 1/3 to 1/2 of refined white rice and flour with whole grains and beans, such as oatmeal rice, brown rice, red bean rice, purple potato rice, corn buns, buckwheat buns, etc.

In addition to these methods, you should also pay attention to the storage time of ingredients. For ingredients that are difficult to preserve, buy less and buy more frequently to avoid long-term storage that leads to nutrient loss and decay.

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Summarize:

Although the nutrition of most foods is "shrinking", we don't need to worry about malnutrition in the current situation. We should diversify our food, eat more natural foods, eat less processed foods, and optimize our diet structure.

Author | Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered dietitian, health manager, public nutritionist

Review | Han Hongwei, Director of Risk Communication Department, National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

Editor | Jiang Fan

Editor | Ding Zong

References:

[1]Mariem, SB, Gámez, AL, Larraya, L. et al. Assessing the evolution of wheatgrain traits during the last 166 years using archived samples. Sci Rep 10, 21828 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78504-x

[2] Zhao Pingjuan. Comparative study on the content of vitamin C in open field and greenhouse green vegetables[J]. Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, 2012, (10): 336-337. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1007-5739.2012.10.208.

[3] Zhao Yuping, Zou Zhirong, Yang Zhenchao, et al. Effects of different temperatures and light on photosynthesis and fruit quality of greenhouse tomatoes[J]. Journal of Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University: Natural Science Edition, 2010, 38(5):6.

[4] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 1)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019

[5] Shan Tiantian, Dai Yu, Xu Xiaoying, Wang Hongxun, Wang Limei. Comparative study on the content of polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of 14 spice extracts[J]. Chinese Condiment, 2019, 44(04): 80-83+88.

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