HealthLinks Charleston March/April 2023

www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 23 its harvest, according to a 2005 Pennsylvania State University study. In a 2007 University of California Davis paper, vegetables were said to lose between 15% and 77% of their vitamin C in the week following harvest. It all depends on storage temperatures, warmer often being the culprit of more rapid nutrient degradation. When farm to fork time shrinks, the nutrients and bacteria that grew with the food in its nearby microbiome in the local soil are better preserved. “There is more abundance of bacteria – good kinds of bacteria that are health promoting,” said King, who pays close attention to how certain foods impact inflammation and gut health when advising plans for her patients. “That microbiome is more active and more alive the fresher [the produce] is.” In choosing to eat locally-grown foods, you are invited to choose the foods that can be grown locally. ”By eating food that is in season, you are not only benefiting from the nutritional value that is at its peak, but also the taste is quite noticeable,” said Chapman. “We should always eat seasonally, which makes the seasons more fun and those ingredients you enjoy at different times of the year even more special and delicious.” MAKING IT TO MARKET: A MISSION FOR MINDFUL MUNCHING By Molly Sherman

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