Bees work hard for our health with pollination. Their disappearance would lead to a change in our diet and an increase in heart disease, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke) and certain cancers, but also micronutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin A and folate, vital for pregnant women. The toll would be heavy: 1.4 million deaths, an increase in global mortality of 3%.
“These dietary changes could increase annual global mortality from noncommunicable diseases and those related to malnutrition by 1.42 million deaths per year,” concludes Dr Samuel Myers, of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (States United) and main author of the study. “A loss of pollination services limited to 50% would be equivalent to an excess mortality of 700,000 deaths”, according to the researchers’ models.
Heavily affected developing countries
Vitamin A and folate deficiencies can reach the eyes, which can lead to blindness, and cause malformation of the nervous system. These health effects would affect developed and developing countries.
The study’s findings state that 71 million people in low-income countries may be found to be deficient in vitamin A, and 173 million of those who become deficient will become mostly deficient in folate.
The disappearance of bees would also be responsible for a reduction in world production of fruits by 22.9%, vegetables by 16.3%, and 22.9% in nuts and seeds. This would increase noncommunicable diseases and those related to malnutrition by 1.42 million deaths per year.
