Fruits and Vegetables 50% Less Nutritious Than in the 1960s

Researchers at Deep Science Ventures (DSV report that common fruits, vegetables and cereals contain far fewer minerals than in the 1960s, with staples like wheat, apples, carrots and peas losing between 20% and 50% of key nutrients. On current evidence, people must eat roughly twice as much produce today to obtain the same amounts of potassium, magnesium or copper as six decades ago. The decline is linked to breeding and farming practices that prioritized yield - cereal yields per hectare have risen about 215% since the 1960s - plus worsening soil quality. The shift matters alongside the growing use of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs (for example Ozempic and Mounjaro), which reduce food intake and could push an estimated 5 million working‑age UK adults below safe vitamin and mineral levels.

The findings highlight concrete deficits and health risks: more than 2 billion people already have at least one clinical micronutrient deficiency; fewer than a third of bread‑wheat varieties introduced since the 1960s meet recommended zinc targets; and women would now need about four slices of wholemeal bread to reach a third of daily selenium needs. Deficiencies raise risks from weakened immunity and heart disease (selenium) to skin, hair and immune problems (zinc), fatigue and poor concentration (iron), and higher stroke risk with low potassium. Proposed remedies focus on restoring soil health, targeted breeding, market incentives and policy changes to improve nutrient density while maintaining yields and climate resilience.