Estimated Deficiencies Resulting from Reduced Protein Content of Staple Foods: Taking the Cream out of the Crop?

PDF Version (619 KB) About This Article Published: 22 September 2017 Note to readers with disabilities: EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact ehponline@niehs.nih.gov. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days. Projected changes in climate are expected to play a complicated role in global crop production. Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) may improve yield, but higher average temperatures and more frequent extreme weather could damage crops, increase the risk of foodborne illness, and impair distribution of safe and nutritious food.1 However, there is another, less intuitive potential effect on the global food supply and human nutrition that also warrants consideration: reductions in the nutrient content of food staples eaten around the world.2 A new study in Environmental Health Perspectives presents an early estimate of impacts due to changes in one of these nutrients, protein.3 As levels of atmospheric CO2 rise, concentrations of protein4,5 and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron4,6,7,8 decline in most vascular plants, particularly those plants that utilize what is known as C3 photosynthesis. C...
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Science Selection Source Type: research