Changing crop magnesium concentrations: impact on human health

Aims Decreasing mineral concentrations in high-yield grains of the Green Revolution have coincided in time with rising global cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates. Given the Magnesium (Mg) Hypothesis of CVD, it's important to assess any changes in food crop Mg concentrations over the pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant and soil 2013-07, Vol.368 (1/2), p.139-153
Main Author: Rosanoff, Andrea
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular diseases
Crop production
Crop science
Ecology
Food crops
Food quality
Food security
Food supply
Grains
Green Revolution
Health aspects
Life Sciences
Magnesium
Metabolic syndrome
Minerals
Mortality
Nutrition
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Predisposing factors
Processed foods
Public health
Regular Article
Soil Science & Conservation
Triticum aestivum
Vegetables
Wheat
World population
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Summary:Aims Decreasing mineral concentrations in high-yield grains of the Green Revolution have coincided in time with rising global cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates. Given the Magnesium (Mg) Hypothesis of CVD, it's important to assess any changes in food crop Mg concentrations over the past 50+ years. Methods Using current and historical published sources, Mg concentrations in "old" and "new" wheats, fruits and vegetables were listed/calculated (dry weight basis) and applied to reports of USA's historic Mg supply, 1900-2006. Resulting trend in USA Mg supply was compared with USA trend in CVD mortality. Human Mg intake studies, old and new, were compared with the range of reported human Mg requirements. Results Acknowledging assessment difficulties, since the 1850s, wheats have declined in Mg concentration 7-29 %; USA and English vegetables' Mg declined 15-23 %, 1930s to 1980s. The nadir of USA food Mg supply in 1968 coincides with the USA peak in CVD mortality. As humans transition from "traditional" to modern processed food diets, Mg intake declines. Conclusions Rising global CVD mortality may be linked to lower Mg intakes as world populations transition from traditional high Mg foods to those low in Mg due to declining crop Mg and processing losses.
ISSN:0032-079X
1573-5036
DOI:10.1007/s11104-012-1471-5