Vegetables half as nutritious as they were in the 1960s

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The nutritional value of fruit and vegetables has fallen by up to 50pc since the Sixties because of declining soil quality, according to a new study.

The report, from researchers at Deep Science Ventures, found that humans needed to consume twice the number of vegetables to get the same level of minerals such as potassium, magnesium or copper as would have been present in their food 60 years ago.

The study found that many crops had lost 20pc to 50pc of several key nutrients.

Will Summers, a senior associate at the firm, said: “For 60 years we’ve measured food security in calories and tonnes per hectare.

“On those measures we’ve done remarkably well. But we’ve been quietly hollowing out what’s inside our food.”

The decrease in nutrient and vitamin value is thought to be down to declining soil quality and crops being selectively bred for their ability to grow quickly, rather than there being any focus on their health benefits.

The effect will be particularly acute for the 14pc of Britons who identify as vegetarian or vegan.

Mr Summers told The Telegraph that peas, carrots and onions were among the vegetables affected.

It raises the prospect that the advice to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, introduced in the UK in 2003, may need to be updated.

The report added that people on weight-loss drugs could be most at risk from the lack of nutrients, as the treatments could cause them to consume less food.

Mr Summers said: “As weight-loss drugs mean people eat less, the nutritional quality of every bite starts to matter much more.”

Deep Science Ventures estimated that as many as five million UK adults on weight-loss treatments could be consuming too few essential vitamins and minerals as a result.

A shortage of minerals such as zinc can weaken the immune system, while low potassium can raise the risk of stroke by up to 21pc.

Nature-friendly farming techniques, such as planting crops that restore nutrients to the soil, could help improve the health benefits of vegetables, according to the researchers.

Sian Ferguson, of the Mark Leonard Trust, which co-wrote the report, said: “Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy food. This report shows that rebuilding soil health is one of the few measures that can improve nutrient density and yields.”

The Mark Leonard Trust was founded by the Sainsbury family in part to fund projects connected to farming.

Ms Ferguson said farmers needed support to transition to more environmentally friendly growing techniques to improve soil quality.

Last month, farmers were left frustrated after they were unable to renew government nature-friendly farming grants after a £235m pot of funding ran out in less than six hours.