Study: Today's vegetables provide half the nutritional value of the 1960s
A new study has revealed that the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables has declined by up to 50% since the 1960s, due to deteriorating soil quality.
Researchers at Deep Science Ventures found that humans now need to consume twice the amount of vegetables to obtain the same levels of minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and copper, that were available in food 60 years ago.
The study also showed that many crops have lost between 20% and 50% of certain essential nutrients, according to Britain’s The Telegraph, reported on Wednesday.
Will Summers, a senior official at the company, said: “Over the past 60 years, we have measured food security based on calories and productivity (in tons) per hectare.”
This decline in nutrient and vitamin levels is attributed to the deterioration of soil quality and selective breeding of crops that focused on rapid growth rather than health benefits.
This issue will have a particularly tangible impact on 14% of Britons who follow a plant-based diet (whether vegetarian or vegan).
Summers told The Telegraph that peas, carrots, and onions were among the vegetables affected by this change.
This situation raises the possibility of needing to update the well-known health advice to consume five portions of fruits and vegetables daily, a recommendation implemented in the United Kingdom in 2003.
The report also noted that individuals taking weight-loss medications may be most vulnerable to the risks of nutrient deficiencies, as these treatments may lead them to consume smaller amounts of food.
Deep Science Ventures estimated that up to five million adults in the UK undergoing weight-loss treatments could suffer from deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals as a result.
Mineral deficiencies, such as zinc, can weaken the immune system, while lower potassium levels may increase the risk of stroke by up to 21%.
In this context, Chien Ferguson from the Mark Leonard Trust, which collaborated on the report, stated: “Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy food.”
The report explains that restoring soil health is one of the few measures that can increase nutrient density and improve production rates.
The Mark Leonard Trust was established by the Sainsbury family with the aim, among other things, of funding projects related to agriculture.
Farmers expressed their frustration last month, as they were unable to renew government grants for environmentally friendly farming after the £235 million funding budget was exhausted in less than six hours.
