Fruits and vegetables may not be providing the health benefits they once did.

Donald Davis, a biochemist at the University of Texas at Austin, completed a study on the nutrients found in 43 garden crops, and when compared to levels from 1950, found that 6 of the 13 major nutrients in common veggies have declined substantially. These decreases ranged up to 38 percent from previous levels.

Davis found the reason behind this decline is something called the ‘dilution effect.’

“Agricultural scientists have known about this for 30 years. When you stimulate plants to grow bigger and faster, you decrease the nutrients found,” he said. “In our research, we found something called the genetic dilution effect, which states that the use of different cultivators for the soil produces a decline in nutrients, also.”

Because of the increased demand for better produce in larger quantities, farmers have used different techniques, such as new soil cultivators, over the past few decades to increase production. These new techniques have created unintended side effects in the products.

“There is a high inverse correlation between yield and mineral concentration in these crops,” Davis said.

With the realization that the fruits and vegetables available are lacking the nutrients they once held, those selling produce are worried.

Lisa Jindrich, the produce manager at Brown’s County Market in Sycamore, is concerned with the recent trends.

“We care about the produce we sell. Customers come first, so we wouldn’t want to sell anything that wasn’t the best for them,” she said.

Despite the latest data showing the decline of nutrients, fruits and vegetables are not wasted once eaten. In fact, the recent trends prove people need to eat even more fruits and vegetables than they once did.

“Although there is nearly a 30-percent decline in the antioxidants that make fruits and veggies healthful, this doesn’t mean we should just take a vitamin pill and move on. Produce still provides a lot of important nutrients that we can’t get anywhere else,” Davis said.

Beverly Henry, an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics, agreed.

“People are supposed to get five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. Actually eating these five servings would go a long way in meeting the vitamins and minerals our body needs, even if there are less nutrients in these foods,” Henry said.