Although plants require carbon dioxide in order to photosynthesize, too much will make crops less nutritious. However, plants also require a balance of the carbon dioxide in the air and in the nutrients from the soil. When these become out of balance, plants change in unexpected ways such as crops producing more carbohydrates and diluting the more nutritious components.

A study published in Science Advances has found that carbon dioxide affects our food and makes it less nutritious. Rice that has been exposed to higher level of carbon dioxide and lowers the nutritional value. Rice was chosen for the study, as it is consumed as a primary food source for more than two billion people worldwide. When the exposed rice was compared to the rice grown today there was significantly less nutrients that included: Protein Iron Zinc There was also a decline in the vitamins: B1 B2 B5 B9 Researchers followed the techniques from another study that was published in Nature in 2014. That study revealed a lowered amount of zinc and iron in exposed wheat, rice, field peas, and soy beans. For both studies, researchers installed pipes that emitted carbon dioxide onto small open-air plots for more “real-world” conditions. An easy solution for some would to eat more diverse diets with a range of quality food sources. However, this solution is not feasible for those that crops like rice make up a majority of their diet. Another solution purposed by the researchers would be to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted into the air.