Why Essential Nutrients Are Vanishing From Our Food
Tanya Murray, FDN-P
I was recently astonished by a truly striking statistic that caught my attention: In just a span of two generations, the nutritional value of oranges has significantly declined to the point where it now takes eight oranges to match the nutrient content of a single orange consumed by our grandparents. Eager to understand the reasons behind this alarming trend, I delved deeper into the matter.
In our modern world, obtaining the necessary nutrients from our food has become more challenging than ever before. Despite having access to a wide variety of foods, many individuals are still experiencing nutrient deficiencies that can have a significant impact on their health and well-being. As a result, the need for nutrient supplements has become increasingly important. Let's explore five reasons why we are missing essential nutrients from our food today.
Soil Quality:
Soil quality plays a crucial role in providing nutrients to plants, which in turn affects the overall nutritional value of our diets, whether plant-based or animal-based. Unfortunately, we are currently witnessing a decline in soil quality due to various factors. The disruption of the soil microbiome caused by the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, monocropping, and extensive tillage has significantly impacted the ability of plants to extract nutrients from the soil.
As a result, the nutrient levels in our food are greatly affected, posing a significant challenge to maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. It is not that the nutrients are absent from the soil, but rather our agricultural practices have altered the soil's natural processes, hindering the efficient uptake of nutrients by plants. This issue underscores the importance of addressing soil quality and adopting sustainable practices to safeguard the nutritional integrity of our food.
Globalization of our Food System:
The globalization of the food system has had a significant impact on the nutritional value of our produce. It is widely understood that once a plant is harvested, its nutritional content begins to decline.
Consider the average carrot, for instance, which travels approximately 1800 miles before reaching our plates. After being uprooted, it endures transportation in dark trucks for long distances, undergoes warehousing processes, and eventually arrives at the store, where it may spend an uncertain amount of time on the shelves before being purchased. Throughout this journey, valuable nutrients are lost with each passing minute. In contrast, our grandparents predominantly consumed locally sourced food due to the limited infrastructure available at the time.
This highlights the need to reevaluate our current food system and explore ways to promote more sustainable and locally focused practices that prioritize the nutritional integrity of our produce.
Environmental Toxins:
Environmental toxins pose a significant threat to our food supply, with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic being prevalent concerns. Additionally, the use of pesticides and herbicides further compounds the issue. These toxins have a detrimental effect on nutrient absorption as nutrients tend to bind to these harmful substances as a protective mechanism.
Take calcium, for instance, which serves as an illustrative example. While it is commendable that calcium binds to the toxin to shield our bodies from harm, the unfortunate consequence is that we fail to absorb the calcium itself. This means that even if we consume foods rich in calcium, we may not fully benefit from its nutritional value due to the presence of these toxins hindering its absorption.
It becomes evident that addressing the pervasive issue of environmental toxins in our food supply is crucial for ensuring optimal nutrient intake and overall well-being.
Disrupted Gut Microbiome:
An imbalanced microbiome within our gut can have profound effects on nutrient absorption. When we experience dysbiosis, parasite infestations, fungal overgrowth, or other gastrointestinal conditions, which unfortunately are alarmingly common, our ability to extract the same level of nutrition from a meal becomes compromised. This means that even when seated next to someone with optimal gut health, our capacity to absorb nutrients from the exact same meal is diminished.
The significance of maintaining a healthy gut cannot be overstated, as it directly influences our body's ability to derive the maximum nutritional benefits from the food we consume.
Chronic Diseases:
Furthermore, a significant factor contributing to the issue is the rise in chronic diseases. This has a dual impact on nutrient requirements. For instance, individuals with conditions such as obesity and metabolic disorders often struggle to absorb an adequate amount of vitamin D from food. Additionally, their ability to convert sunlight into vitamin D is less efficient. As a result, they may require much higher daily doses just to maintain normal vitamin D levels due to their compromised health status. Conversely, individuals who are in good health may require a much less amount per day.
Compounding the problem, people with chronic diseases also experience reduced nutrient absorption, exacerbating the nutritional challenge they face. This issue extends far beyond a small segment of the population, as approximately 6 out of 10 Americans suffer from a chronic disease, and 4 out of 10 have multiple chronic conditions. The implications are significant, underscoring the urgent need to address the nutritional needs of a large portion of the population affected by chronic diseases.
In a world marked by nutrient deficiencies and lifestyle challenges, incorporating nutrient supplements has become increasingly necessary to support our overall well-being. These supplements offer a practical and effective solution for compensating for nutrient-depleted soil, addressing lifestyle challenges, supporting optimal nutrient absorption, providing tailored nutritional support, and promoting long-term health. By understanding the reasons behind nutrient deficiencies and taking proactive steps to ensure adequate nutrient intake, we can optimize our health and well-being in today's nutrient-deficient world.
Are you ready to revolutionize your health or just have more questions?
