Current agricultural methods and costs can make it easy for farmers to turn to cheaper options. Often maintaining optimum soil health means alternating fields between growing seasons and using fewer fertilizers and pesticides, costing farmers money or reduced yields. Quick turnarounds and fast-growing seasons have led us to increased soil depletion that, in turn, results in crops that are less nutrient-dense.
Recent studies have evaluated food composition and nutrient value in 43 garden crops. Researchers in Texas used USDA food composition data between 1950 and 1999 to evaluate the changes in the nutrient content of these crops, a majority of which were vegetables. The findings showed declines in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C over the past 50 years. After careful study, scientists said the cause of the decline in nutritional content was farming. How so? Over the years, agricultural practices have been developed to improve the size, growth rate, and pest resistance of crops instead of nutritional value.
The results suggested that changes in cultivation and tradeoffs in yield and nutrient content of the products, best explains why fruits and vegetables grown decades ago were much more abundant in vitamins and minerals.
A 2017 study used nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess the overall risk for multiple micronutrient deficiencies in U.S. adults and children over age 9. It studied the prevalence of vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, folate, and iron. The study results were grim. One of the more pronounced statistics showed that roughly 31% of the U.S. population is at risk of at least one vitamin deficiency or anemia. Of this group, individuals who didn’t take dietary supplements had the highest risk of any deficiency at 40%
Despite an abundant food supply, the western diet of processed foods, coupled with declining nutrient levels in our soils, is depleting our bodies of essential nutrients.
That’s why Prevegenics developed the best liquid fertilizers and works directly with growers and university researchers to promote natural techniques for growing healthier and more productive plants. By applying our fertilizers, it allow plants to naturally absorb nutrients better, allowing healthier plants to produce more nutrient-dense foods that deliver the vitamins and minerals that are vital to dietary health and a strong immune system.
In the next three blogs, we’ll dive into how specific vitamins and minerals are getting sapped from our natural foods and how Prevegenics helps food naturally absorb more nutrients for the health boost consumers need and want.
