If you’ve ever thought, “Food just doesn’t taste like it used to,” you’re not imagining things. And it’s not just the flavour that’s changed - over the years, the mineral content of fruit and vegetables in the UK has been decreasing.
Yes, sadly, the trusty broccoli and nourishing carrots we’ve always counted on aren’t quite as packed with goodness as they were a few decades ago.
What’s Going On?
Back in 1940, the UK government published its first official tables showing the nutritional content of foods. Since then, scientists have compared that data with more recent figures from 1991 and 2019 - and what they found was a bit worrying.
According to research published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, many of our everyday fruit and veg have lost between 10% and 50% of key minerals, including iron, magnesium, copper and sodium.
Here’s a snapshot:
- Iron levels in vegetables have dropped by 50%
- Magnesium has decreased by around 10%
- Copper is down nearly 49%
(Source: PubMed)
So even if you’re eating your five-a-day (which is brilliant, by the way), you might not be getting quite the same level of nutrients that your mum or grandma did from the same foods.
Why Is This Happening?
There are a few reasons behind the decline:
- Modern farming methods focus heavily on quantity—growing bigger, faster crops—but this can sometimes mean they’re less rich in nutrients.
- Soil quality is a major factor. When the same soil is used over and over again without proper care, it gradually loses the minerals that nourish plants.
- Longer supply chains also play a part. Produce is often picked early and stored or transported for days before it reaches your kitchen, and that can mean fewer nutrients by the time you eat it.
What Can We Do About It?
There are a few easy things we can all do to make sure we’re getting the most from our food:
- Buy local and seasonal when you can - farmers’ markets and veg boxes are great options.
- Grow your own, even if it’s just a few herbs or salad leaves on the windowsill. Fresh-picked is always best.
- Eat a wide variety of fruit and veg - different colours and types bring different nutrients.
- Consider taking a supplement to complement a healthy and balanced diet, to provide an additional intake of these essential nutrients. At Wassen, our mission is to combat the mineral decline in food that we are experiencing around the world. Take a look at our range of premium mineral supplements here.
A nourishing diet starts with knowing what’s on our plates - and making a few thoughtful choices to help our bodies thrive!
