Not Lost in the Supermarket

Gene Lester, said plant physiologist, was idling through the produce aisle of a grocery store when he noticed that all the fruits and vegetables were displayed under light. He wondered if the spinach in particular was benefiting from this light, since the nutrients in spinach come from photosynthesis.

So he and some colleagues devised an experiment in his lab that put spinach in supermarket conditions--stored in clear plastic at 39 degrees under continuous fluorescent light--for up to nine days. And then they measured the nutrient content of the leaves against spinach left in the dark. They found that photosynthesis did occur under the continuous light, and that those spinach leaves had higher levels of vitamins C, K, E, and folate, as well as higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin (which are both thought to be good for eye health).

If nothing else, this news might make you feel a little bit better about not being able to always buy from a farmstand....

Carlene Bauer

Health Editor

Whole Living