Thanks to the modification of the CRISPR method, it was possible to significantly increase the level of vitamin D in tomatoes, according to the journal Nature Plants. Tomatoes have been genetically engineered so that the average fruit contains as much vitamin D as two eggs, or 28 grams of tuna (eggs and fish are currently recommended sources of vitamin D).
- The genetically modified tomato leaves contained 600 micrograms of provitamin D3 per gram. This is 60 times the recommended daily allowance for an adult
- The method is very promising, it may enable similar modifications to other vegetables that have “vitamin potential”, e.g. eggplants, potatoes and peppers
- Vitamin D deficiency affects approximately one billion people worldwide
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem
«We have shown that it is possible to biofortify tomatoes with provitamin D3 by gene editingwhich means tomatoes can be a plant-based, sustainable source of vitamin D3 ″, said Cathie Martin of The John Innes Center, an independent plant research center in England.
Vitamin D prevents skeletal development disorders and is converted into products with steroid hormone bioactivity that serve as a signaling function in many organs, including the brain.
Vitamin D deficiency affects approximately one billion people worldwideis therefore a global (and growing) health problem. People who are deficient are more likely to contract COVID-19. Most foods are low in vitamin D, and plants are a very poor source.
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In addition to sun exposure, one way to increase vitamin D levels in the human body is through diet. However, there are very few foods that naturally contain this vitamin, and even fewer are vegan foods. That’s why foods like milk, cereals and orange juice have been artificially fortified with vitamin D to improve public health.
«40 percent Europeans are deficient in vitamin D, as are a billion people worldwide. We are not only addressing a huge health problem, but we are helping producers because the tomato leaves that are currently going to waste can be used in modified lines to make vitamin D supplements, ”says Cathie Martin.
Editing tomato genes and vitamin D.
The genetically edited tomato leaves contained 600 micrograms of provitamin D3 per gram – 60 times the recommended daily allowance for adults. Part of the vitamin produced in the leaves went to the fruit. The authors do not suggest, however, that people eat tomato leaves, but rather to use them to make vegan supplements.
Tomatoes naturally contain certain vitamin D3 precursors known as 7-dehydrocholesterol or 7-DHC. By disabling the genes that code for the enzymes that break down 7-DHC, scientists forced the vitamin D precursor to accumulate in both unripe and ripe fruit. This precursor can easily be converted to vitamin D in the presence of sunlight, but this need not be necessary.
“For older adults who are declining 7-DHC levels, eating biofortified 7-DHC fruit can directly address deficiencies,” the authors suggest.
Importantly, genetic modifications did not cause any changes in the growth, development or yield of tomatoes.
Given that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, depression and dementia, biofortifying fruits and vegetables with nutrients could possibly significantly improve public health.
Similar to the vitamin D3 precursors in tomatoes, other cultivated nightshades also contain – eggplants, potatoes and peppers, so they could also be modified. (PAP)
Author: Paweł Wernicki
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You can find natural vitamin D in easily digestible capsules at Medonet Market.
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