Data from: Hidden shift of the ionome of plants exposed to elevated CO2 depletes minerals at the base of human nutrition

Mineral malnutrition stemming from undiversified plant-based diets is a
top global challenge. In C3 plants (e.g., rice, wheat), elevated
concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (eCO2) reduce protein and
nitrogen concentrations, and can increase the total nonstructural
carbohydrates (TNC; mainly starch, sugars). However, contradictory
findings have obscured the effect of eCO2 on the ionome - the mineral and
trace-element composition - of plants. Consequently, CO2-induced shifts in
plant quality have been ignored in the estimation of the impact of global
change on humans. This study shows that eCO2 reduces the overall mineral
concentrations (-8%, 95% confidence interval: -9.1 to -6.9, p
carbon:minerals in C3 plants. The meta-analysis of 7,761 observations,
including 2,264 observations at state of the art FACE centers, covers 130
species/cultivars. The attained statistical power reveals that the shift
is systemic and global. Its potential to exacerbate the prevalence of
'hidden hunger' and obesity is discussed.