Plant foods become less nutritious. And yes, people are to blame again

For years, scientists have looked at increased photosynthesis as one of the benefits of increased

the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.It was assumed that the plants would grow better in such conditions. However, a new study has found that elevated levels of carbon dioxide make it harder for plants to get minerals, making them less nutritious.

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Photosynthesis does not provide plants with the keyminerals they need to grow. Most plants obtain these minerals, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, from the soil through their root systems. Nitrogen is especially important as it is a key building block for amino acids.

Nitrogen deficiency means not only that the plantwill be difficult to build their tissues, but also that it will give less nutrients to people. At the same time, the composition of nutrients in major crops used around the world, such as rice and wheat, is negatively affected by rising levels of carbon dioxide.

Scientists believe that people are responsible for increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.