There’s a lot of talk that our soil is depleted of minerals and therefore, our food is not as nutritious as it used to be.
Could that be true? Is that the reason so many people look and feel less healthy than a generation ago?
It certainly seems that way. But, when we looked into this idea, we found some conflicting data.
So, in the post, we’re going to dive a little deeper and see what’s really going on and, most importantly, how it might affect your health.
The Depleted Soil Argument
One of the most popular articles mentioned in this argument is a 2011 piece from Scientific American. In that article, they talk about a 2004 study at The University of Texas that found a “reliable decline” in the nutritional value of 43 fruits and vegetables. This decline happened between 1950 and 1999.
So, it IS true that many fruits and veggies have less nutritional value than they used to have.
In fact, one study by The Kushi Institute found that an…
“...analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels 37 percent; vitamin A levels 21 percent, and vitamin C levels 30 percent.”
Still another study published in theBritish Food Journal, found that…
“…in 20 vegetables the average calcium content had declined 19 percent; iron 22 percent; and potassium 14 percent.”
That’s 3 studies all agreeing that our food is less nutritious than it used to be. Now for the plot twist…
The Real Soil Story
Donald Sparks is a researcher and author of the textbook,Environmental Soil Chemistry. And a while back he took soil samples from around the world and determined that the soil actually has plenty of minerals.
So what gives?
Well, it turns out that the mineral content of the soil is NOT the determining factor in how many nutrients get into our food. Instead, it’s the amount of fungus and bacteria in the soil.
Why?
Because fungus and bacteria are what break down the minerals in the soil and make it bio-available for the plants. And, it seems that the reason the soil is missing naturally occurring fungi and bacteria is the overuse of pesticides and insecticides.
In other words, the soil is too “sterile.” Now, here’s what’s fascinating to us…
What’s True for Plants is True for You
Our bodies need fungus and bacteria in our gut in order to pull as many nutrients from our food as possible. And we’re learning that many drugs and sugars and processed foods are depleting our gut of the bacteria we need to properly process our food.
This is exactly why we created and highly recommend using our advanced pre and probiotic supplement, Defender. It can help support a healthy gut.
Now back to those declines in nutritional value of foods…
Unless you are buying and eating 100% whole foods and 100% organic, the fact is you’re probably not getting the nutrient rich foods your body craves.
For that reason we also recommend Reload, our 6-in-1 peak performance pack. It’s even got fungus in the form of cordycep mushrooms in it.
Between these two supplements, you can take back control of the amount of nutrients you get from your food even if where you get your food from isn’t as good as it used to be.
