Fertilizers and Pesticides
The quality and nutritional content of the food we grow such as grains and produce, in addition to the meat, milk and dairy foods made from the milk of land animals, is proportionate with the quality of the soil. In other words, nutrient-rich soil produces healthy and nutrient-rich plants. Land animals that graze on nutrient-rich grasses produce more nutritious milk which makes nutrient-rich dairy foods. The quality of the food animals eat also affects the quality of their meats.
“Good soil is 45% minerals, and one teaspoon of non-chemically-treated soil hosts more living creatures than there are people in the world”(Jensen et.al, 1973, p.32).
“Good soil,” as defined by Jensen and Anderson, (1973) is rich in bacteria. These organisms cause organic matter to break down so that the minerals can be released. These minerals then become absorbed by plants that are healthy and more resistant to disease.
Modern farming practices, focused primarily on production and profit, has overused and depleted the soil of much of its vital nutrients. The result is a soil depleted of nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth and plants that have lost their natural resistance to bugs and fungi. In order to deal with this problem, the modern farmer makes use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
In the 1940’s, a German chemist named Baron Justus von Liebig stated that proper plant growth required nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK). He suggested that farmers can use these chemicals on depleted farmland to cause the growth of plants. As a result, chemical agriculture was born. Unfortunately, Liebig had little knowledge of the role of trace minerals, fungi, and bacteria and did not understand the consequences of his discovery (Jensen & Anderson, 1973).
Studies have shown the following negative effects of using chemical fertilizers:
· Plants contain different levels of minerals, varying widely depending on where they were grown and the type of fertilizer used.
· Plants contain high levels of sodium, but may have little or no trace minerals such as boron and zinc.
· Much of the soil is deficient in trace minerals that are needed for the plant to manufacture enzymes, proteins that are important for human and animal metabolic function. Without enzymes, “life processes slow down until, when enzyme activity is too low, life is no longer sustainable in a physical form” (Jensen & Anderson, 1973, p. 79).
· Chemical fertilizers seep into ground water causing water pollution.
· Due to lack of trace minerals and microscopic organisms in the soil, the plants lose their natural resistance to pests (Jensen & Anderson, 1973).
In order to combat the limited plant resistance to pests, modern farming makes use of chemical pesticides claiming that, in small amounts, they are not harmful to humans. While pesticides are consistently regulated, the toxic effect on humans is well documented. Probable health human health effects of various pesticides are carcinogen; mutagen; birth defects; affects nervous system; affects eyes in animals; possible developmental effects, affects vascular system (Jensen & Anderson, 1973).
The EPA regulates the use of pesticides in the United States and considers toxic chemical pesticides in small amounts to be of “negligible risk” to humans. Yet these estimated tolerance levels can vary among consumers resulting in the ingestion of toxins far above the risk levels.
All poisons are not only toxic, they are cumulative. Some toxic residues, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons, do not break down and tend to accumulate in fatty tissues of the body. Over time, these accumulated toxic residues compromise the immune system leaving the body vulnerable to disease. When the body reaches a level of toxicity that compromises the immune system, it no longer can fight against disease.
Food Additives
Food additives are substances added to foods to improve their shelf life and appearance. These additives may come from natural sources such as salt, sugar, and lecithin (derived from soy or corn). They may be synthetic vitamins to increase the nutritional content of foods such as Vitamin D added to milk. Additives may also be chemicals used to for cosmetic purposes.
While the FDA regulates the use of food additives in the United States, the risks to human health are under debate. Studies have shown possible links to heart disease, obesity, ADHD, neurological conditions, cancer, and digestive problems. One example is sodium nitrate, a preservative used in meats. Sodium Nitrate can react with other foods and produce nitrosamine, a carcinogenic substance. Other examples are food dyes Blue 1, Blue 2, Red 3, and Yellow 6 that have been linked to cancer (Wikipedia, 2010).
Allergic reactions have also been associated with food additives. For example, Yellow 5 may cause hives, shock, vomiting, and abdominal pain. (Schmidt et. al., 1994)
MSG, in some individuals, may cause flushing, nausea, headache, and dizziness. Some additives, while safe alone and in small amounts, may react synergistically with other substances, causing severe symptoms (Nadakavukaren, 1995).
Additives may also affect the absorption of other substances. “The preservative EDTA decreases iron absorption by as much as 50 percent from a given meal”(Gittleman, 1991, p. 205).
Natural, locally grown whole foods, on the other hand, do not contain food additives and their associated health risks.
The Value of Organic Foods
“That your health and longevity are in direct relationship to the naturalness of the foods you eat is a well-established scientific fact” (Airola, 1974, p.188).
In light of Dr. Airola’s comment, consider the following practices of modern mass food production:
· Poultry are kept typically in 9” by 9” cages their entire lives never seeing the light of day. They are fed hormones such as estrogens and stibesterol to make them plump and increase their weight. They are fed grains laced with antibiotics which remains in their flesh. Such close quarters increase the risk of salmonella and E-coli infection. (Klaper, 1987) The environment of the birds is artificially controlled, i.e. light mimics summer length so that chickens lay eggs all year. This extended egg-laying season can cause osteoporosis where the chickens can no longer stand. In such close quarters, cannibalism can also be a problem. In order to prevent this, a portion of the bird’s beaks are removed so that they cannot peck each other (Wikipedia, 2010)
· Beginning in the 1930’s, modern industrial production systems, livestock are kept in stalls or pens in high density. To improve production and stimulate growth, antibiotics are added to livestock feed and synthetic growth hormone implants are permitted. rBGH, an artificial bovine growth hormone is injected into cows to increase milk production.
· Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables: Overused, nutrient-depleted soil and the problems with the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on human health have been previously discussed.
These food production practices are far from the “naturalness” of Dr. Airola’s statement at the beginning of this section. Consider these alternatives”
· Free-range poultry farming where the chickens are allowed to roam free on pastureland, foraging and exercising. Chickens have reduced growth rates, exhibit natural behaviors of pecking, scratching, and foraging, have better leg and heart health and a higher quality of life (Wikipedia, 2010).
· Grass fed or free-range cattle that are allowed to roam free and forage on grasslands. Their meat is leaner, has higher levels of Conjugated Linoleic Acid, CLA in addition to Omega-3 fatty acids ALA, EPA, and DHA. Free-range dairy cows also have a reduced need for antibiotics because they are less productive than grain-fed dairy cows (Wikipedia, 2010).
· Grains, fruits, and vegetables that are grown organically in fertile soils contain more vitamins and minerals in addition to enzymes (Airola, 1974).
“Where natives eat a diet of natural, whole, unprocessed and unrefined foods, they enjoy perfect health, absence of disease and long life. When denatured, refined, processed, man-made foods such as white sugar and white flour, and canned and processed foods enter into their lives, disease becomes rampant among them” (Airola, 1974, p.199).
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