title: Elevating optimal human nutrition to a central goal of plant breeding and production of plant-based foods.
abstract: High-yielding cereals and other staples have produced adequate calories to ward off starvation for much of the world over several decades. However, deficiencies in certain amino acids, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids in staple crops, and animal diets derived from them, have aggravated the problem of malnutrition and the increasing incidence of certain chronic diseases in nominally well-nourished people (the so-called diseases of civilization). Enhanced global nutrition has great potential to reduce acute and chronic disease, the need for health care, the cost of health care, and to increase educational attainment, economic productivity and the quality of life. However, nutrition is currently not an important driver of most plant breeding efforts, and there are only a few well-known efforts to breed crops that are adapted to the needs of optimal human nutrition. Technological tools are available to greatly enhance the nutritional value of our staple crops. However, enhanced nutrition in major crops might only be achieved if nutritional traits are introduced in tandem with important agronomic yield drivers, such as resistance to emerging pests or diseases, to drought and salinity, to herbicides, parasitic plants, frost or heat. In this way we might circumvent a natural tendency for high yield and low production cost to effectively select against the best human nutrition. Here we discuss the need and means for agriculture, food processing, food transport, sociology, nutrition and medicine to be integrated into new approaches to food production with optimal human nutrition as a principle goal.
authors.affiliation: Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA. dsands@montana.edu
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: Cindy E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Edward A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Dratz
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilgeram
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D001709:Biotechnology; D001947:Breeding; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000592:standards; D005523:Food Supply; D005524:Food Technology; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
references.citation: Ambio. 2007 Feb;36(1):70-2
references.pmid: 17408193
references.citation: J Physiol. 2002 Sep 1;543(Pt 2):399-411
references.pmid: 12205177
references.citation: J Nutr. 2004 Sep;134(9):2169-72
references.pmid: 15333699
references.citation: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2001 Nov-Dec;22(10):1813-24
references.pmid: 11733308
references.citation: Circulation. 2005 Jan 18;111(2):157-64
references.pmid: 15630029
references.citation: Nat Biotechnol. 2005 Apr;23(4):482-7
references.pmid: 15793573
references.citation: Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2005 Mar;8(2):115-21
references.pmid: 15716788
references.citation: J Nutr. 2007 Apr;137(4):1097-100
references.pmid: 17374686
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 2005 Apr;128(4 Suppl 1):S10-8
references.pmid: 15825116
references.citation: J Nutr. 2003 Dec;133(12):4271-4
references.pmid: 14652387
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1983 Jul;31(1):13-9
references.pmid: 6415684
references.citation: Dis Mon. 2009 Jun;55(6):365-72
references.pmid: 19446680
references.citation: World Rev Nutr Diet. 1999;84:19-73
references.pmid: 10489816
references.citation: Prog Lipid Res. 2008 Mar;47(2):77-106
references.pmid: 18177743
references.citation: J Exp Bot. 2004 Oct;55(406):2131-45
references.pmid: 15361536
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Jun 6;97(12):6421-6
references.pmid: 10829069
references.citation: Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Sep;136(1):61-9
references.pmid: 14527630
references.citation: Nat Rev Genet. 2007 Sep;8(9):657-62
references.pmid: 17703236
references.citation: Nutr Rev. 1999 Sep;57(9 Pt 2):S46-52
references.pmid: 10568351
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Nov 25;105(47):18232-7
references.pmid: 19011084
references.citation: J Asthma. 2005 Jun;42(5):305-14
references.pmid: 16036405
references.citation: Nutr Res Rev. 2006 Dec;19(2):284-93
references.pmid: 19079890
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 May 12;106(19):7762-7
references.pmid: 19416835
references.citation: J Nutr. 2002 Mar;132(3):506S-510S
references.pmid: 11880581
references.citation: Epidemiology. 2004 Jul;15(4):394-402
references.pmid: 15232398
references.citation: Plant J. 2006 Mar;45(5):847-56
references.pmid: 16460516
references.citation: Haematologica. 2006 Oct;91(10):1303-6
references.pmid: 17018377
references.citation: J Nutr. 2003 Jan;133(1):316S-321S
references.pmid: 12514318
references.citation: JAMA. 1999 Apr 21;281(15):1415-23
references.pmid: 10217058
references.citation: Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Sep;136(1):95-112
references.pmid: 14527633
references.citation: J Appl Physiol (1985). 2004 Jan;96(1):3-10
references.pmid: 14660491
references.citation: J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Dec;21(6):495-505
references.pmid: 12480795
references.citation: Pediatrics. 1989 Mar;83(3):416-21
references.pmid: 2493149
references.citation: J Nutr. 2008 Oct;138(10):1835-9
references.pmid: 18806089
references.citation: J Nutr. 2007 Apr;137(4):855-9
references.pmid: 17374644
references.citation: Am J Cardiol. 2005 Dec 1;96(11):1521-9
references.pmid: 16310434
references.citation: Brain Res. 2008 Oct 27;1237:136-45
references.pmid: 18710653
references.citation: Appl Microbiol. 1974 Sep;28(3):523-4
references.pmid: 4418566
references.citation: J Exp Bot. 2002 Apr;53(370):947-58
references.pmid: 11912237
references.citation: Int J Food Microbiol. 2003 Nov 1;87(3):259-70
references.pmid: 14527798
references.citation: Trends Plant Sci. 2008 Nov;13(11):567-73
references.pmid: 18824398
references.citation: Cryobiology. 1977 Feb;14(1):87-93
references.pmid: 837711
references.citation: Plant Cell. 2004 Oct;16(10):2734-48
references.pmid: 15377762
references.citation: Planta. 2006 Oct;224(5):1050-7
references.pmid: 16718484
references.citation: Circulation. 2004 Jan 6;109(1):103-7
references.pmid: 14676141
references.citation: Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Apr 1;15(7):2559-66
references.pmid: 19318492
references.citation: Plant Physiol. 2008 Jul;147(3):954-61
references.pmid: 18612072
references.citation: Arch Neurol. 2002 Aug;59(8):1258-63
references.pmid: 12164721
references.citation: Nat Biotechnol. 2006 Sep;24(9):1078-80
references.pmid: 16964212
references.citation: Int J Food Microbiol. 2008 Sep 30;127(1-2):32-6
references.pmid: 18599142
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Mar;47(3):428-32
references.pmid: 3279746
references.citation: Annu Rev Nutr. 2009;29:329-39
references.pmid: 19575602
references.citation: Plant Physiol. 2008 May;147(1):6-12
references.pmid: 18443101
references.citation: FEBS J. 2007 Jan;274(1):1-22
references.pmid: 17222174
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1996 Nov;5(11):889-95
references.pmid: 8922296
references.citation: Acta Neurol Scand. 1990 Apr;81(4):318-22
references.pmid: 2360399
references.citation: Biotechnology (N Y). 1995 Jun;13(6):577-82
references.pmid: 9634796
references.citation: Plant Physiol. 2008 Jul;147(3):939-53
references.pmid: 18612071
references.citation: Science. 2009 Jan 30;323(5914):627-30
references.pmid: 19179529
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1997 Aug;62(2):327-9
references.pmid: 9251975
references.citation: World Rev Nutr Diet. 1998;83:12-23
references.pmid: 9648501
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 May;74(10):3291-4
references.pmid: 18344331
references.citation: Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Sep;136(1):47-59
references.pmid: 14527629
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 May;81(5):1080-7
references.pmid: 15883432
references.citation: Mol Genet Metab. 2000 Sep-Oct;71(1-2):70-5
references.pmid: 11001798
references.citation: Dis Mon. 2009 Jun;55(6):353-60
references.pmid: 19446678
references.citation: Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;28(2):178-81
references.pmid: 19249141
references.citation: New Phytol. 2009;182(1):49-84
references.pmid: 19192191
references.citation: J Agric Food Chem. 1999 May;47(5):2033-9
references.pmid: 10552491
references.citation: J Lipid Res. 1963 Apr;4:151-9
references.pmid: 14168145
references.citation: Nutrition. 2000 Jul-Aug;16(7-8):701-4
references.pmid: 10906604
references.citation: Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2009 Jul;8(3):181-194
references.pmid: 33467798
references.citation: Trends Pharmacol Sci. 1990 Sep;11(9):379-87
references.pmid: 2238094
references.citation: Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2003 Sep;32(3):931-47
references.pmid: 14562582
references.citation: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002 Apr;71(4):857-65
references.pmid: 11888576
references.citation: Nature. 2002 Mar 14;416(6877):199-202
references.pmid: 11894099
references.citation: Trop Med Int Health. 2005 Feb;10(2):169-78
references.pmid: 15679560
references.citation: J Nutr. 2000 Apr;130(4S Suppl):1007S-15S
references.pmid: 10736372
references.citation: Plant Physiol. 2001 Mar;125(3):1157-61
references.pmid: 11244094
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6 Suppl):1483S-1493S
references.pmid: 16841858
references.citation: Neurobiol Aging. 1988 Jan-Feb;9(1):44-6
references.pmid: 3380252
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 1981 Oct;79(4):433-6
references.pmid: 7288050
references.citation: Plant Mol Biol. 2006 Jun;61(3):525-35
references.pmid: 16830184
references.citation: Mayo Clin Proc. 2004 Jan;79(1):101-8
references.pmid: 14708953
references.citation: Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17(1):72-9
references.pmid: 18364330
references.citation: J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Dec 24;56(24):11914-9
references.pmid: 19012405
references.citation: Int J Sports Med. 1998 Jul;19(5):328-35
references.pmid: 9721056
references.citation: Science. 1965 Dec 10;150(3702):1469-70
references.pmid: 17782299
references.citation: Nutr Rev. 2002 May;60(5 Pt 2):S46-52
references.pmid: 12035858
references.citation: Arch Androl. 2003 Sep-Oct;49(5):365-8
references.pmid: 12893514
references.citation: Neurobiol Aging. 2005 Dec;26 Suppl 1:133-6
references.pmid: 16266772
references.citation: Nutr Res Rev. 2006 Jun;19(1):117-36
references.pmid: 19079880
references.citation: J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Jun;115(6):1119-28; quiz 1129
references.pmid: 15940121
references.citation: Science. 1964 Jul 17;145(3629):279-80
references.pmid: 14171571
references.citation: Nutr Res Rev. 2006 Jun;19(1):26-52
references.pmid: 19079874
references.citation: Brain Res. 1993 Jul 9;616(1-2):311-4
references.pmid: 8358622
references.citation: Prog Clin Biol Res. 1983;129:71-97
references.pmid: 6657708
references.citation: Annu Rev Nutr. 2005;25:59-85
references.pmid: 16011459
references.citation: Plant Mol Biol. 2009 Jan;69(1-2):81-9
references.pmid: 18839315
references.citation: Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Sep;136(1):141-51
references.pmid: 14527636
references.citation: Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2002 Apr;1(1):23-32
references.pmid: 33451246
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1989;568:225-33
references.pmid: 2576506