Supermarket fluorescent lights may be key to keeping vegetables fresh

March 10, 9:52 AMJacksonville Fresh Foods ExaminerJoshua Horrocks

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Continuous fluorescent lighting may help vegetables maintain nutrients

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In a recent Jacksonville Fresh Foods article, we reported the results of a study, which found that vegetables can lose up to 45% of their nutrients after being picked, stored, bought, and eaten. A recent study headed by Gene Lester, a research plant physiologist at the United States Department of Agriculture, has found a possible solution to this problem.

Lester and his colleagues used spinach in their study due to its abundance of nutrients, and they found that under continuous fluorescent lighting and a chilled temperature, some vitamin's concentration actually grew 15 to 20 percent within 3 days. After 9 days, they found that folate and vitamin K had risen to 100 percent.  Lester suggests that buying your products from the front of the grocery shelf may be the most beneficial for your nutrient needs. (news.discovery.com)

These results did very between different types of spinach, but Lester suspects that continuous lighting will also help other fruits and vegetables hold nutrients. However, Marion Nestle, a nutritionist at New York University and author of "What to Eat", told Discovery.com that despite the new findings, it's probably not necessary to examine the lighting conditions of your local market or to keep your fridge light on at all times. "You want to buy fresh vegetables and eat them as close as possible to the time you buy them," Nestle tells Discovery.com. "They taste better, and they are potentially better for you."

There has been much information coming out about both sides of this debate, however, one thing remains constant. Buying freshly picked produce from your farmers is your best bet for obtaining maximum nutrition. Also, do not forget that they simply taste better. 
 

Source: Supermarket Lights Supercharge Vegetables' Nutrition Value, discovery.com