Stories
Unlock Peak Health: Why Seasonal Eating is Your Most Powerful Decision
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CNBC TV18•03-10-2026, 16:51
Unlock Peak Health: Why Seasonal Eating is Your Most Powerful Decision
- •Eating seasonally provides the most nutritious produce, often at a lower cost, as seen in traditional Indian kitchens and ancient practices like Ritucharya.
- •Produce grown out of season or shipped long distances is typically harvested early, leading to a significant decline in nutrient content, such as vitamin C.
- •Studies show that the same vegetable can have vastly different nutrient levels depending on the season it's picked; for example, winter spinach has three times more vitamin C than summer spinach.
- •Our digestive systems, like those of hunter-gatherer communities, evolved to expect seasonal changes in diet, and eating the same foods year-round works against this natural design.
- •To start, prioritize local, abundant, and low-priced produce at your market, as these are clear indicators of seasonal availability and optimal nutrition.
Key Questions Answered
The Charaka Samhita, written more than two thousand years ago, sets out Ritucharya as a detailed guide for eating through the six seasons of the Indian year.
Japan's official food composition tables note that summer spinach contains roughly 20 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, whereas winter spinach contains 60 mg in the same amount.
Researchers found that the gut bacteria of the Hadza hunter-gatherer community changed with the seasons, shifting alongside their diet.
