Study: Today's Vegetables Provide Half the Nutritional Value They Did in the 1960s

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A new study has revealed that the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables has declined by up to 50% since the 1960s, due to the deterioration of soil quality.

Researchers at Deep Science Ventures found that humans 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 some essential nutrients, as reported by the British Telegraph on Wednesday.

Will Summers, a senior official at the company, said: 'For the past 60 years, we have measured food security based on calories and productivity (in tons) per hectare.'

He added: "We have achieved excellent results according to those standards, but in return, we have gradually and silently drained our food of its true nutritional value."

This decline in levels of nutrients and vitamins is attributed to the deterioration of soil quality and to selective breeding processes for crops that focused on growth speed rather than health benefits.

This will have a particularly noticeable impact on 14% of Britons who follow a plant-based diet (whether regular vegetarian or strict vegan).

Summers stated to 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 famous health advice to eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, a recommendation that was implemented in the UK in 2003.

The report also indicated that individuals taking weight loss medications may be more susceptible to nutrient deficiencies, as these treatments may lead them to consume less food.

Summers said: "Since weight loss medications reduce the amount of food individuals consume, the nutritional quality of every bite becomes much more important." The Deep Science Ventures estimated that up to five million adults in the UK undergoing weight loss treatments may suffer as a result from a deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals.

Mineral deficiencies - such as zinc - can weaken the immune system, while low potassium levels may increase the risk of stroke by up to 21%.

Researchers believe that environmentally friendly farming techniques - such as growing crops that replenish nutrients in the soil - can contribute to enhancing the health benefits of vegetables.

In this context, Shian Ferguson from the Mark Leonard Trust, which contributed to the report, said: "Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy food."

This report indicates that restoring soil health is one of the few measures that can increase nutrient density and improve production rates.

It is noted that the "Mark Leonard Trust" was established by the Sainsbury family with the aim of, among other things, funding projects related to agriculture.

Ferguson pointed out the need for farmers to receive support in order to transition to more environmentally friendly agricultural practices, with the goal of improving soil quality.

Farmers expressed their dissatisfaction last month, as they were unable to renew government grants allocated for environmentally friendly agriculture, after the funding budget of £235 million ran out in less than six hours.