Here’s More Detail
I hope this post finds you well.
It’s been, almost, a year since I first wrote on vegetable nutrition collapse from excess CO2. I thought an update is needed. So, I went to AI to have a discussion and get some answers. This is from Bing, Microsoft,s AI based on ChatGPT-4.
Generate a list with percentages gained or loss, nutrition levels of lettuce with elevated CO2?
Sure! Here is a list of the changes in nutritional levels of lettuce when subjected to elevated CO2 according to a meta-analysis using 57 articles consisting of 1015 observations:
- Fructose: +14.2%
- Glucose: +13.2%
- Total Soluble Sugar: +17.5%
- Total Antioxidant Capacity: +59.0%
- Total Phenols: +8.9%
- Total Flavonoids: +45.5%
- Ascorbic Acid: +9.5%
- Calcium (Ca): +8.2%
However, it also decreased the concentrations of:
- Protein: -9.5%
- Nitrate: -18.0%
- Carotenoids: -8.1%
- Magnesium (Mg): -9.2%
- Iron (Fe): -16.0%
- Zinc (Zn): -9.4%.
What happens if we lose 10% of zinc?
Zinc is a mineral that your body uses for fighting off infections and producing cells. It’s important for healing injuries and creating DNA, the genetic blueprint in all of your cells. If you’re not getting enough zinc in your diet, you may have side effects such as hair loss, lack of alertness, and a reduced sense of taste and smell. Zinc deficiency at any age can cause a loss of taste and smell. In older adults, zinc deficiency can delay wound healing and cause problems with thinking, reasoning, and memory.
Learn more:
1. healthline.com 2. ods.od.nih.gov 3. mayoclinic.org 4. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 5. en.wikipedia.org 6. oatext.com
What other nutrients are affected by elevated CO2 levels?
According to my web search results, elevated CO2 levels can affect the nutritional quality of food by decreasing protein and mineral concentrations by 5–15%, and B vitamins by up to 30%. Higher CO2 concentrations increase photosynthesis in C3 plants (e.g., wheat, rice, potatoes, barley), which can increase crop yields. However, when plants take in an excess of CO2, their chemical makeup changes in a way that’s harmful to the humans and animals that depend on them for nutrition: higher concentrations of CO2 increase the synthesis of carbohydrates like sugars and starches and decrease the concentrations of proteins and nutrients like zinc, iron, and B-vitamins.
Learn more:
1. thelancet.com 2. globalhealth.washington.edu 3. bing.com 4. healthline.com 5. ifpri.org
Do food supplements work?
Dietary supplements can help improve or maintain overall health and meet daily requirements of essential nutrients. However, it’s important to note that fruits, vegetables, fish, and other healthy foods contain nutrients and other substances not found in a pill, which work together to keep us healthy. We can’t get the same synergistic effect from a supplement. Taking certain vitamins or minerals in higher-than-recommended doses may even interfere with nutrient absorption or cause side effects. It’s always best to obtain most vitamins and minerals through your diet if possible.
Learn more:
1. fda.go v2. health.harvard.edu 3. health.harvard.edu 4. mayoclinichealthsystem.org 5. pennmedicine.org
Can humans absorb zinc from supplements?
Yes, humans can absorb zinc from supplements. Zinc supplements are often used to help treat and prevent zinc deficiency. Absorption of zinc from supplements containing zinc citrate or zinc gluconate is similar, at approximately 61% in young adults; the absorption from supplements containing zinc oxide is 50%. However, it’s important to note that taking supplements containing 25 mg elemental iron or more at the same time as zinc supplements can reduce zinc absorption and plasma zinc concentrations.
Learn more:
1. ods.od.nih.gov 2. healthline.com 3. verywellhealth.com 4. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Does the body absorb B vitamins from supplements, and what study confirms this?
Yes, the body can absorb B vitamins from supplements. For example, Folate (Vitamin B9) is available as a supplement in the form of folic acid; this form is actually better absorbed than that from food sources—85% vs. 50%, respectively. Another example is Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), which is naturally found in animal foods and can also be added to foods or supplements. However, it’s important to note that absorption can vary depending on several factors such as age, health status, and the presence of other nutrients or substances that can enhance or inhibit absorption.
Learn more:
1. hsph.harvard.edu 2. mayoclinic.org 3. healthline.com 4. singlecare.com 5. ods.od.nih.gov
How about total soluble sugar?
According to the same meta-analysis using 57 articles consisting of 1015 observations, elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) increased the concentration of total soluble sugar in the edible part of vegetables by 17.5%.
Is sugar in plants changing with increased CO2 in the atmosphere?
According to my web search results, at elevated levels of CO2, some plants allocate greater amounts of sugars to roots where they are likely to act on gene regulation and therefore modify nutrient uptake and transport. Glucose and sucrose also promote root growth, an effect similar to what occurs under elevated CO2. However, most plants are growing faster but they have on average more starch, less protein and fewer key vitamins in them.
Learn more:
1. frontiersin.org 2. cfaes.osu.edu 3. theconversation.com 4. frontiersin.org 5. askabiologist.asu.edu
Is the ratio of sugar to carbohydrate in plants changing with increased CO2?
Yes, it appears that as CO2 levels rise, so do carbohydrates in plants, increasing food’s sugar content. While carbon-enriched plants grow bigger, scientists are finding that they contain proportionately less protein and nutrients such as zinc, magnesium and calcium. However, not all plants react to rising carbon dioxide levels in the same way. Some crops like corn and sugar cane do not decrease in nutritional value with higher carbon dioxide levels because their photosynthesis process differs from that of most other plants.
Learn more:
1. news.mongabay.com 2. cfaes.osu.edu 3. news.mongabay.com 4. frontiersin.org 5. khanacademy.org 6. nature.com
CO2 vegetables?
According to a meta-analysis using 57 articles consisting of 1015 observations, elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) increased the concentration of fructose in the edible part of vegetables by 14.2%. Is there anything else you would like to know?
Learn more:
1. researchgate.net 2. frontiersin.org 3. frontiersin.org 4. sciencedirect.com 5. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
What happens if we lose 8% of protein in our diet?
Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in maintaining and repairing the body. A deficiency in protein can have detrimental effects on health, including impaired immune function, muscle loss and decreased growth in children. Other possible symptoms of a protein deficiency include swelling, anemia, fatty liver disease, hair loss and reduced bone density. It’s important to ensure that you’re getting enough protein in your diet to support your overall health.
Learn more:
1. healthline.com 2. medicalnewstoday.com 3. healthline.com 4. webmd.com 5. medicalnewstoday.com 6. healthline.com
SO!, what’s happening here. Apparently our vegetables are gaining in size, increasing in sugars and carbohydrates, however, they are also decreasing in vital nutrients. This is our paradox. Getting more, but getting less, our nutrition collapse. This reminds me of a clause from the America’s declaration of independence.
that mankind is more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Look! The evils you are now suffering are nutrition loss in our vegetable, increased consumption of sugar, all the institutions that deny climate change is human induced, and all the institutions that are emitting CO2. We need to do carbon capture and reduce our emissions. These two images say it.
