The Produce Bullies

I saw these incredibly sad looking and overpriced organic zucchini at a local grocery store this past weekend.  I wondered who, if anyone, would actually buy it.  If you are a zucchini neophyte, the stuff you want to eat should be dark green with no spots or blemishes.   

The depressing squash seen above got me thinking about questionable health advice I've seen recently.

Health Myth:  Eat Only Organic Produce

Some sources of advice suggest that organic produce always has more nutrients than conventionally grown.  This is not supported by scientific data!

A study published in September 2012 looked at nutritional content of organic foods compared to conventionally grown foods.  In some cases, such as with strawberries, organic fruit had more vitamin C and antioxidants.  Organic tomatoes had more of a certain antioxidant called polyphenol.

However, other conditions such as ripeness may be the most important factor in determining nutritional content.  In addition, the nutritional quality of produces degrades the longer it sits between harvest and consumption.  It sits on a truck, sits in the store, and sits in the refrigerator before it is consumed.  All of these elements can lead to a decline in the nutrient content of what we eat.

The study concluded that organic foods overall are no more nutritious than their conventional counterparts.

There are many reasons why people choose to buy and eat organic produce.  These range from wanting to consume fewer pesticides to concern about the health of farm workers.  These issues may be more complicated than we think.  This article discusses the study, looks at pros and cons of organic food, and touches on details such as lower crop yield which may lead to a greater than expected environmental effect.

Buying and eating organic produce is a personal choice.  No one should feel guilty or less healthy for choosing to buy and eat conventionally grown food.  Especially when the organic choice is in such a sad state as the zucchini in the photo.

Health Myth:  Fresh produce is better than frozen

Advice that says we should never eat frozen food is wrong.  According to a 2010 article in the Daily Mail, fresh vegetables can lose up to 45 percent of nutrients before we eat them.  Commercially frozen vegetables are typically picked at the peak of ripeness, when nutrients are also at their peak, and flash frozen shortly thereafter.  Unfortunately, certain vegetables such as zucchini don't freeze well, so in the off-season you may be stuck with well-traveled zucchini if you can't wait until summer.  And some vegetables such as sweet peas are difficult to find after summer.  Frozen peas are a necessary and welcome household staple for many consumers.

Health Myth:  Raw Produce is Always Better than Cooked

Again, science disagrees with this blanket statement.  A 2009 story in Scientific American reviewed several studies that looked at the raw vs. cooked debate.  While cooking can destroy Vitamin C, cooking can boost the levels of several other nutrients.  Many vegetables supply more antioxidants to the body when cooked (boiled or steamed) than they do when raw.  Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes and other red or pink foods has been linked with a lower risk of cancer and heart attack.  The cancer prevention properties of lycopene have not been proven conclusively, but lycopene has been shown to be better absorbed when people eat cooked tomato products rather than raw tomatoes.

Health Truth:  Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables Every Day

Most Americans are short of the 5 servings (1/2 cup serving size) recommended daily.  (Don't try to look up the USDA recommendations on the government website until the government is working again.)  When the advice is that all of our vegetables must be fresh, raw and organic, many people just give up.  Don't give up!  Eat a variety of foods everyday, and don't be bullied by the random non-scientific nutrition advice you find out in the world.