Foods become less nutritious as carbon dioxide rises

Researchers from four countries around the world say that as the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere rises, the amount of zinc and iron in wheat, rice, soybeans and field peas went down significantly; wheat and rice also had notable declines in protein content at the higher levels of carbon dioxide used in the experiment. Zinc and iron deficiency is a global health problem.

“Across a diverse set of environments in a number of countries, we see this decrease in quality,” said Andrew Leakey of U-Illinois, an author of the study, in a Science Daily item. Nutrient levels in corn and sorghum were relatively stable at higher carbon dioxide levels. Plant breeding could address part of the loss in nutrients, said the abstract of the study.

The study, “Increasing Carbon Dioxide Threatens Human Nutrition,” appears in the journal Nature and is available here.

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