{"id":186667,"date":"2017-08-02T13:01:51","date_gmt":"2017-08-02T13:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/harvard-study-global-warming-reduces-protein-in-key-crops\/"},"modified":"2017-08-02T13:01:51","modified_gmt":"2017-08-02T13:01:51","slug":"harvard-study-global-warming-reduces-protein-in-key-crops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/harvard-study-global-warming-reduces-protein-in-key-crops\/","title":{"rendered":"Harvard study: Global warming reduces protein in key crops"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Around 76 percent of people on Earth rely on plants for their daily protein<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Scientists believe increased carbon dioxide will increase the starch in plants<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong>This could decrease protein and other nutrients available by eating them\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Sub-Saharan Africa which already experiences famine will be hardest hit\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong>South Asia where rice and wheat are staples will also be severely\u00a0affected<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By<\/p>\n<p>Afp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>and<br \/>\nTim Collins For Mailonline<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"><span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-published\"><br \/>\n  <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Published:<\/span><br \/>\n  01:12 EDT, 2 August 2017<br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n | <span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated\"><br \/>\n  <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Updated:<\/span><br \/>\n  05:54 EDT, 2 August 2017<br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-facebook\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-twitter\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-pinterest\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-gplus\">\n      <span class=\"g-interactivepost\"><br \/>\n        <a><\/a><br \/>\n      <\/span>\n        <\/li>\n<li class=\"share-email\">\n<p>                <span class=\"wai\">e-mail<\/span><br \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/li>\n<li class=\"share-icons\" id=\"shareLinkTop\">\n            <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>     <span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"count-number\">          37<\/p>\n<p class=\"count-text\">View <br \/> comments<\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Rising carbon dioxide levels from global warming<\/a> will drastically reduce the amount of protein in staple crops like rice and wheat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This will leaving vulnerable populations at risk of growth stunting and early death, experts have warned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Researchers say they still don&#8217;t understand how or why carbon dioxide emissions sap protein and other nutrients from plants.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">An additional 150 million people globally may be at risk of protein deficiency by 2050 because of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, however.<\/p>\n<p>        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-982e7db16bf22515\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" height=\"422\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Rising carbon dioxide levels from global warming will drastically reduce the amount of protein in staple crops like rice and wheat.  This image shows Indian farmers plant paddy seedlings in a rice field on the outskirts of Amritsar\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-982e7db16bf22515\" src=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1\/2017\/08\/02\/06\/wire-1061977-1501650747-523_634x422.jpg\" height=\"422\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Rising carbon dioxide levels from global warming will drastically reduce the amount of protein in staple crops like rice and wheat.  This image shows Indian farmers plant paddy seedlings in a rice field on the outskirts of Amritsar\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Rising carbon dioxide levels from global warming will drastically reduce the amount of protein in staple crops like rice and wheat.  This image shows Indian farmers plant paddy seedlings in a rice field on the outskirts of Amritsar<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mol-factbox-title\">STUDY FINDINGS\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Researchers calculated that by 2050, higher CO2 concentrations will sap the protein contents of barley by 14.6 percent, rice by 7.6 percent, wheat by 7.8 percent, and potatoes by 6.4 percent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A full 76 percent of the people on Earth rely on plants for most of their daily protein, particularly in poor areas of the globe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The hardest hit areas are expected to be Sub-Saharan Africa, where millions already don&#8217;t get enough protein in their diets, and South Asia where rice and wheat are common staples.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">India alone may lose 5.3 percent of protein from a standard diet, putting a predicted 53 million people at new risk of protein deficiency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Researchers said solutions may include cutting carbon emissions, supporting more diverse diets, enriching the nutritional content of staple crops, and breeding crops that are less sensitive to the harmful effects of CO2.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The study, led by Harvard University, is the first to quantify the impacts of global warming on the protein levels of crops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It relies on data from open field experiments in which plants were exposed to high concentrations of CO2.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Global dietary information from the United Nations was used to calculate the impact on people who live dangerously close to the edge when it comes to getting enough protein.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Without it, growth is stunted, diseases are more common and early mortality is far more likely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of fossil-fuel burning that helps trap heat around the Earth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Without stark action, these emissions are expected to climb in the decades to come, resulting in rising seas, hotter temperatures and more extreme weather events.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A leading hypothesis was that CO2 might increase the amount of starch in plants, thereby decreasing protein and other nutrients.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But lead author Samuel Myers, a senior research scientist in Harvard University&#8217;s TH Chan School of Public Health, said that experiments did not back up the theory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The short answer is we really have no idea,&#8217; he told AFP.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"rotator-panels link-bogr1 linkro-ccox\">\n<li>\n<p>  <span>The flower that bloomed in time of the dinosaurs: Scientists&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>  <span>Microsoft reveals phone-like subscription package for&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>  <span>The bizarre hi-tech clothing with built in ROBOTS that roam&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>  <span>Apple stock soars to record high as Tim Cook reveals better&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;We&#8217;ve looked into it pretty extensively.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Protein was not the only nutrient to take a major hit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Other research has shown that rising CO2 will cut key minerals like iron and zinc in staple crops, leading to further nutritional deficiencies worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-982e7dbf88c4416c\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" height=\"486\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Researchers say they still don't understand how or why carbon dioxide emissions sap protein and other nutrients from plants. A leading hypothesis is that carbon dioxide might increase the amount of starch in plants like wheat (pictured), decreasing protein and other nutrients\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-982e7dbf88c4416c\" src=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1\/2017\/08\/02\/06\/wire-1061979-1501650747-807_634x486.jpg\" height=\"486\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Researchers say they still don't understand how or why carbon dioxide emissions sap protein and other nutrients from plants. A leading hypothesis is that carbon dioxide might increase the amount of starch in plants like wheat (pictured), decreasing protein and other nutrients\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Researchers say they still don&#8217;t understand how or why carbon dioxide emissions sap protein and other nutrients from plants. A leading hypothesis is that carbon dioxide might increase the amount of starch in plants like wheat (pictured), decreasing protein and other nutrients<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Researchers calculated that by 2050, higher CO2 concentrations will sap the protein contents of barley by 14.6 percent, rice by 7.6 percent, wheat by 7.8 percent, and potatoes by 6.4 percent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;If CO2 levels continue to rise as projected, the populations of 18 countries may lose more than 5 percent of their dietary protein by 2050 due to a decline in the nutritional value of rice, wheat, and other staple crops,&#8217; said the report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A full 76 percent of the people on Earth rely on plants for most of their daily protein, particularly in poor areas of the globe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The hardest hit areas are expected to be Sub-Saharan Africa, where millions already don&#8217;t get enough protein in their diets, and South Asia where rice and wheat are common staples.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">India alone may lose 5.3 percent of protein from a standard diet, putting a predicted 53 million people at new risk of protein deficiency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Researchers said solutions may include cutting carbon emissions, supporting more diverse diets, enriching the nutritional content of staple crops, and breeding crops that are less sensitive to the harmful effects of CO2.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The full findings were published in the  journal\u00a0Environmental Research Letters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>            <!-- ad: http:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v2\/us\/sciencetech\/none\/article\/other\/inread_player.html --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"social-links-title\">Share or comment on this article<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"bigLinks sc-icns cleared\">\n<li class=\"share-facebook\">\n<p>                                    <span class=\"wai\">e-mail<\/span><br \/>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"share-icons\" id=\"shareLinkBottom\">\n<p>                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"social-stats social-stats-pipe\" id=\"shareCountBottom\">\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"addCommentButton\" class=\"add-comment\">\n<p>                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"rotator-panels\">\n<li class=\"new shallow-ac mini link-bogr6 linkro-wocc\">  <span class=\"wocc bdrcc\">Law which pardons rapists if they marry their victims set&#8230;<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<li class=\"new shallow-ac mini link-bogr6 linkro-wocc\">  <span class=\"wocc bdrcc\">Instant CAR-MA! 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Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Around 76 percent of people on Earth rely on plants for their daily protein Scientists believe increased carbon dioxide will increase the starch in plants This could decrease protein and other nutrients available by eating them\u00a0 Sub-Saharan Africa which already experiences famine will be hardest hit\u00a0 South Asia where rice and wheat are staples will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-186667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186667\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}