MILLIONS FACE MALNUTRITION

PARIS :  Millions face malnutrition as CO2 levels climb. Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the air threaten to sap wheat, rice and other staple grains of valuable nutrients -

Raising the spectre of mass malnutrition, researchers warned on Monday.

On current trend, higher CO2 concentrations could reduce Iron, zinc and protein levels in the crops that feed the world by up to 17 percent by mid-century, they reported in the journal  Nature Climate Change.

''Hundreds of millions of people could become newly deficient in these nutrients, primarily in Africa, Southeast Asia, India and the Middle wast,'' lead author Matthew Smith, a researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan school of Public Health, said.

''These are in addition to the billions of people already deficient that could see their condition worsen.''

Protein, along with the minerals iron and zinc , are essential nutrients for normal human growth and development.

Zinc deficiency affects the  immune system  and makes children particularly, more vulnerable to malaria, lung infections and deadly diarrhoeal diseases.

A lack of iron increases the likelihood of mothers dying during childbirth, can lower IQ, and causes anemia, or a drop in red blood cells.

Wheat, rice and maize together account for roughly 40 percent of protein, zinc and iron supply in the diet worldwide.

In general, humans get  three-fifths of dietary protein, four-fifths of Iran, and  70 percent of zinc requirements from plants. [AFP]