India, Oct. 9 -- A study by researchers at Deep Science Ventures found that people may need to eat twice as many fruits and vegetables today to get the same amount of minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and copper, as they did 60 years ago.
Using historical food data and crop records, including wheat samples collected over 160 years, the researchers identified a decline in the mineral and protein content of many important foods, which means people may need to consume more food to obtain the same amount of nutrients as previous generations.
The researchers found that several common foods, including bread, cereals, carrots, apples and peas, had lost between 20% and 50% of some important nutrients.
Nutrient deficiencies can also have ser...