|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
IIHW agri-techonology researchers in association with Kent Brown &
Associates of Ste. George, Utah, and the Rio Verde University Laboratory in
Provo, Utah, began field experiments on the affects of VITÆ™-MYTE©
and 11 other soil additive combinations to determine among others: sheen,
volume, body, disease, water requirements, and overall growth. The first
cuttings were done on July 23rd, 2005, and lab analysis is currently
underway. A cursory ‘eyeball’ view of the grass samples showed marked
differences in the sample areas utilizing the VITÆ™-MYTE©
all natural micro-nutrient additive. Research on this and other aspects of
vegetative incorporation of these depleted nutrients continue. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Much controversy and debate surrounds the subject of minerals. Sorting fact from fiction and debunking the myths about minerals! (says researcher/author Tim O’Shea) Inorganic, organic, chelated, elemental, ionic, colloidal, essential, trace - all these claims! What do we really need? Credentials in nutrition apparently mean very little when it comes to minerals. Much of what is written about minerals is speculative, market-oriented, or simply dead wrong. A net search on minerals gleans an overwhelming assault on one's patience, time and credulity. How could all this stuff be right? Minerals come from mines right? Except, when you're talking about nutrition. Then they come from food. At least they used to. When we still had some mineralized viable topsoil to grow market vegetables in that is! Four elements compose 96% of the body's makeup: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The remaining 4% of the body's composition is mineral. There are several opinions about how many minerals are essential. The following table shows the ones that are not in dispute, in the first column. Macro means more than 100mg per day. Trace usually means we don't know how much we need and it is a very small quantity. Essential Minerals MACROMINERALS........ Calcium Chlorine Sodium Potassium Phosphorus Magnesium Sulfur TRACE ELEMENTS or MINERALS . . . . . . . Chromium Tin Zinc Vanadium Copper Silicon Manganese Nickel Iron Molybdenum Fluorine Iodine Cobalt Selenium - U.S. Dept. of Agriculture National Research Council The controversy primarily involves the second column - trace minerals. Of the 14 trace minerals listed above, three or four may not have universal agreement as essential, but the majority of creditable sources admit that most of them are essential. Deficiency amounts have never been determined for most trace minerals, although several diseases have been linked with deficiencies of certain ones. Conclusive evidence has not been found regarding the exact daily intake amounts necessary, since some of the actual requirements may be too small to measure; hence the name "trace." In the past few years, even mainstream medicine is beginning to acknowledge the incontrovertible importance of mineral supplementation. In an article appearing in JAMA, the top American medical journal, 24 Dec 1996, a controlled study of selenium use for cancer patients was written up. Selenium has been proven to be a powerful stimulator in antioxidant activity, by helping to neutralize free radicals, which are rampant in the presence of cancer. In this study, 1312 subjects were divided into groups. Some were given selenium; others the placebo. Soon it was noticed that there was a decrease of 63% with prostate cancer, and 46% with lung cancer in the selenium group. The results were so blatant that the designers actually terminated the study early so that everyone could begin to benefit from selenium. This is just one example of the research that is currently being done on mineral supplementation. The problem is, if the results of studies economically threaten a current drug protocol, like chemotherapy, it is unlikely that an inexpensive natural supplement like selenium would be promoted by oncologists as a replacement in the foreseeable future. There are six nutrient groups: • Water • Vitamins • Minerals • Fats • Protein • Carbohydrate All groups are necessary for complete body function. The necessity for minerals is a recent historical discovery, only about 150 years old. In the 1850s, Pasteur's contemporary, Claude Bernard, learned about iron. Copper came about 10 years later, and zinc about the turn of the century. With the discovery of Vitamin A in 1912, minerals were downplayed for about 50 years in favor of vitamin research. By 1950, after about 14 vitamins had been discovered, attention returned once more to minerals when it was shown that they were necessary co-factors in order for vitamins to operate. Minerals are catalysts for most biological reactions. Soon the individual functions of minerals in the body were demonstrated: • Structural: bones, teeth, ligaments • Solutes and electrolytes in the blood • Enzyme actions • Energy production from food breakdown • Nerve transmission • Muscle action The following is a table of minerals linked with the specific functions most commonly agreed upon today: Calcium: Muscle contraction Bone building Sodium: Cell life Waste removal Potassium: Nerve transmission Cell life Normal blood pressure Muscle contraction Phosphorus: Bone formation Cell energy Magnesium: Muscle contraction Nerve transmission Calcium metabolism Enzyme cofactor Chlorine: Digestion Normal blood pressure Sulphur: Protein synthesis Collagen cross-linking, bone and ligament structure Copper: Immune system Artery strength Forms hemoglobin from iron Chromium: Insulin action Immune function Glucose Iron: Blood formation Immune function Selenium: Immune stimulant Fight free radicals Activates Vitamin E Nickel: Immune regulation Brain development DNA synthesis Iodine: Thyroid function Vanadium: Circulation Sugar metabolism Molybdenum: Enzyme action Silicon: Enzyme action Connective tissue Tin: Enzyme action Manganese: Enzyme action Fluorine: Teeth enamel - Larry Berger, PhD and Parris Kidd, PhD Zinc is necessary for antioxidant production, which prevents aging and cancer. It is also a cofactor for some 80 metabolic enzymes. (Erasmus, p 172) Zinc is necessary for wound healing, fat metabolism, insulin function, semen production, tissue repair, especially skin, and HCl production. (Erasmus) Mineral deficiency means that some of these jobs will not get done. The body is capable of prodigious amounts of adapting, and can operate for long periods of time with deficiencies of many of the above. But one day those checks will have to be cashed. The result: premature aging and cell breakdown. Without minerals, vitamins may have little or no effect. Minerals are catalysts - triggers for thousands of essential enzyme reactions in the body. No trigger - no reaction. Without enzyme reactions, caloric intake is meaningless, and the same for protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake. Minerals trigger the vitamins and enzymes to act; that means digestion. DEFICIENCY With the exception of those egregiously uninformed doctors who quack "you should be able to get all the nutrition you need from your food," a virtually undisputed fact is deficiency. Mineral deficiency is the reason for the titanic output of websites, articles, and supplements visible today. The majority of mineral websites quote a 1936 source - Senate Document #264, as scientific proof that dietary minerals are generally inadequate for optimum health. "...most of us are suffering from certain diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until depleted soils from which our food comes are brought into proper mineral balance." "The alarming fact is that food...now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough minerals are starving us... no matter how much of the food we eat." "Lacking vitamins, the system can make use of minerals, but lacking minerals, vitamins are useless." Senate Document 264 74th Congress, 1936 The same document went on to quantify the extent of mineral deficiency: "99% of the American people are deficient in minerals, and a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease." Congressional documents are not generally highly regarded as scientific sources, and other reference texts cite other percentages. The figures quoted by Albion Laboratories, the world leader in patents on supplemental minerals, are somewhat lower, but the idea begins to come across: DEFICIENCIES - % of U.S. Population Magnesium - 75% Iron - 58% Copper - 81% Manganese - 50% Chromium - 90% Zinc - 67% Selenium - 60% Sources: Albion Labs, Fats That Heal FIVE REASONS FOR MINERAL DEFICIENCY: 1. SOIL DEPLETION Different studies will show different figures, of course, but there is certainly no lack of explanation for mass deficiencies of mineral intake. The most obvious of these is soil depletion and demineralization. In 1900, forests covered 40% of the earth. Today, the figure is about 27%. (Relating Land Use and Global Land Cover, Turner, 1992). Aside from hacking down temperate forests and rainforests in order to raise beef cattle or to build condos, one of the main reasons for the dying forests is mineral depletion. According to a paper read at the 1994 meeting of the International Society for Systems Sciences, this century is the first time ever that "mineral content available to forest and agricultural root systems is down 25%-40%." Less forests means less topsoil. In the past 200 years, the U.S. has lost as much as 75% of its topsoil, according to John Robbins in his Pulitzer-nominated work Diet for a New America. To replace one inch of topsoil may take anywhere from 200-1000 years, depending on climate. (Utah Teachers Resource Books) Demineralization of topsoil translates to loss of productive capacity. Contributing further to this trend is the growing of produce that is harvested and shipped far away. (This would also account for the depletion of minerals from forested areas where the logs are shipped away from the forest for processing. Eds note.) The standard NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizer farmers commonly use is able to restore the soil enough to grow fruits and vegetables which are healthy looking, but may be entirely lacking in trace minerals. The inventor of the entire NPK philosophy, Baron von Leibig, recanted his theories before he died when he saw the deficiencies his methods were fostering as they became the agricultural standard in both Europe and America. Mineral depletion in topsoil is hardly a controversial issue. The question is not if, but how much. Plants are the primary agents of mineral incorporation into the biosphere. The implication for our position on the food chain is simply: lowered mineral content in produce grown in U.S. topsoil. Not much argument here. There is not any source that insists that the mineral content of American or any developed nations topsoil is as good today as it was 50 years ago. Generally, studies talk in terms of how much, if any, minerals are still present. 2. DIET The second contributor to mineral deficiency within the population is obviously, diet. Even if our produce did contain abundant minerals, less than 4% of the population eats sufficient fruits and vegetables to account for minimal RDAs. To compound matters further, mass amounts of processed food, excess protein, and refined sugars require most of our mineral stores in order to digest it and remove it. The removal process involves enzymes, which break things down. Enzyme activity, remember, is completely dependent on minerals like zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, cobalt and many others. No minerals - no enzyme action. In addition, pasteurized/homogenized milk and dairy products, alcohol, and drugs inhibit the absorption of these minerals, further depleting reserves. So it is cyclical: refined foods inhibit mineral absorption, which then are not themselves efficiently digested because of diminished enzyme activity. And then we go looking for bacteria and viruses as the cause of disease? 3. MUCOID PLAQUE The standard indigestible American diet packs layer upon layer of plaque onto the inner lining of the colon. One of the prime functions of the colon is to reabsorb water, in order to prevent dehydration. Plaque prevents such a reclamation, and the result is that we lose both water and minerals that normally should be reabsorbed. 4. COMPETITION The fourth reason for inadequate minerals in the body is a phenomenon known as secondary deficiency. It has been proven that an excess of one mineral may directly cause a deficiency of another, because minerals compete for absorption, compete for the same binding sites, like a molecular Musical Chairs. Secondary deficiency means that an excess of one mineral causes a deficiency of another. (Kidd) For example, iron, copper, and zinc are competitive in this way. Copper is necessary for the conversion of iron to hemoglobin, but if there is excess zinc, less iron will be available for conversion due simply to excess zinc! Researchers have found that these secondary deficiencies caused by excess of one mineral are almost always due to an imbalance of mineral supplements, since the quantities contained in food are so small. 5. DRUGS A final, and increasingly serious reason for mineral deficiency in humans is overuse of prescription drugs. It has been known since the 1950s that antibiotics interfere with uptake of minerals, specifically zinc, chromium, and calcium. (The Plague Makers) Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, and aspirin have the same inhibitive effect on mineral absorption. Moreover, when the body has to try and metabolize these drugs to clear the system, its own mineral stores are heavily drawn upon. Such a waste of energy is used to metabolize laxatives, diuretics, chemotherapy drugs, and NSAIDs, such as Tylenol, Advil, and aspirin out of the body. This is one of the most basic mechanisms in drug-induced immune-suppression: minerals are essential for normal immune function. Ultimately, the only issue that really counts with minerals is bio-availability. It really doesn't matter what we eat; it only matters what is available and is transported to the body's cells. Let's say someone is iron deficient, for example. Can't he just take a bar of iron and file off some iron filings into a teaspoon, and swallow them? Just took in more iron, didn't he? Will this remedy the iron deficiency? Of course not! Here is a major distinction: the difference between elemental minerals and nutrient minerals. Iron filings are in the elemental form; absorption will be 8% or less. Same with most iron pills and most calcium supplements. Food-bound iron, on the other hand, like that contained in raisins or molasses, will have a much higher rate of absorption, since it is complexed with other living organic forms, and as such is classed as a nutrient mineral. Minerals are not living, though they are necessary for life. Minerals are necessary for cell life and enzyme reactions and hundreds, perhaps thousands of other reasons. But they must be in a form that can make it as far as the cells. What is not bio-available passes right through the body, a waste of time and often money spent on poor mineral supplements. Bio-availability has a precursor, an opening act. It is called absorption. Take a mineral supplement pill. Put it in a glass of water and wait half an hour. If it is unchanged, chances are that the tablet itself would never even dissolve in the stomach or intestine, but pass right out of the body. You would be astounded how many mineral supplements there are in this category. OK, let's say the tablet or capsule actually does dissolve in the digestive tract. Then what? In order to do us any good, the mineral must be absorbed into the bloodstream, through the intestinal walls. Elemental minerals are absorbed about 1-8% in this manner. The rest is excreted. Elemental minerals are those found in the majority of supplements, because they're very cheap to produce. For the small percentage that actually makes it to the bloodstream, the mineral is available for use by the cells, or as catalysts in thousands of essential enzyme reactions that keep every cell alive every second. Use at the cellular level is what bio-availability is all about. With this background in mind, we can begin to understand that varying amounts of the seven macro-minerals and approximately 14 trace minerals are necessary in a bio-available form for optimum cell activity, optimum health and would seem to contribute to long lifespan. So besides mineral deficiency of epidemic proportions, what's the problem? In a word, supplementation! Mineral deficiency has become such an obvious health concern, Mineral deficiency has become such an obvious health concern, causing specific diseases because of a lack of a single mineral, and general immune suppression with a lack of several... that the obvious need for supplementation has spawned an entire industry to the rescue. But in any market-driven industry involving pills, again we find that often the cures are worse than the original problems. Why?... Toxicity! Remember, even macro-minerals are only necessary in tiny amounts. Most trace minerals are necessary in amounts too small to be measured, and can only be estimated. Toxicity is a word that simply means extra stuff. When extra stuff gets put into the body, it's a big deal. All forces are mobilized for removal of the extra stuff, which are called antigens, toxins, poisons, reactants, etc, but you get the idea - it doesn't belong there. Toxicity means taking a non-essential non-nutrient into the body. Take lead poisoning, for example. If lead gets into the blood, the body will try to remove it. Since the metal atoms are so heavy compared with the body's immune forces, removal may be impossible. Lead can initiate a chronic inflammatory response and can remain in the body permanently, which is why we don't have lead in paint or gasoline any more. Most minerals can be toxic if taken to excess. And this excess would not happen from food; only from supplements. This is why if you are supplementing with trace minerals where the daily dose has not been established you should be taking only micro amounts of them. SO, WHAT SUPPLEMENTS WOULD BE BAD? Well, for starters, any supplement containing more than about 21 minerals, where the extra minerals are present in any other than extremely small micro doses, because little research, in fact no research in some cases, has been done on all the other trace elements. New toxicities are always being discovered. Aluminum linked to Alzheimer's is a recent discovery. Beyond these 21 or so it's simply anybody's guess, no matter what they tell you about the 5 civilizations where people live to be 140 years old. People who show dramatic improvements from taking these broad spectrum mineral drinks generally were so depleted that they rapidly absorbed the essential minerals in which they were deficient. But the toxicities from the non essential, unknown minerals may take a long time to show up. Why take in anything extra? (In the case of micro supplementation with the other little known minerals, problems would not arise as these minerals would have all been available from properly mineralized food anyway and the body would either utilize them as needed or excrete them. So the possibility of any toxic effects from using micro amounts of the lesser known trace elements, as would be found in food growing on properly mineralized soils, would be remote indeed. Editors note.) Amidst all the confusion about minerals, one thing should be made absolutely clear: we only need tiny amounts of virtually all the trace elements. So the mineral supplements we take should be as absorbable and as bio-available as possible - that way we won't have to take much and there is very little chance of toxicity. So the question then becomes: which mineral supplements are the most absorbable and the most usable, and therefore effective in the smallest amounts possible? Four candidates present themselves, all contending for the title: Elemental Ionic Colloidal Chelated Unraveling this puzzle is one area where a lot of confusion reigns. There's only one answer, but it's buried deep. To find it, we have to review a little BASIC PLUMBING: The digestive tract goes like this: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and out. Mineral absorption means transferring the mineral from the digestive tract through the wall of the intestine, into the bloodstream. You really have to picture this: the digestive tract is just a long tube, from one end to the other. As long as food and nutrients are inside this tube, they are actually considered to be still outside the body, because they haven't been absorbed into the bloodstream yet. This is an essential concept to understanding mineral absorption. Minerals can't do any good unless they make it into the bloodstream. This is exactly why most minerals bought at the supermarket and over the counter from health shops, are almost worthless: they pass right through the body - in one end and out the other. It's also why many nutritionists' and dieticians' advice is valueless; they commonly pretend and even believe their own hype that everything that is eaten is absorbed. Two main reasons for lack of absorption: The pill never dissolved in the first place and was excreted along with other undigested stuff. The mineral was in its elemental form and was bio-unavailable. (non-nutrient, e.g., iron filings) Let's say these problems are overcome...neither is true...or, let's say the mineral is contained within some food, such as iron in molasses, or potassium in bananas. Food-bound minerals are attached or complexed to organic molecules. Absorption into the blood is vastly increased, made easy. The mineral is not just a foreign metal that has been ingested; it is part of food. This is very important for the absorption of all minerals. Fruits and vegetables with high mineral content are the best way to provide the body with adequate nutrition. Food-bound minerals are the original mode. As already cited above however, sufficient mineral content is an increasingly rare occurrence. Foods simply don't have sufficient quantities of most trace elements and minerals to properly sustain life. How little or what portion of normal depends on what studies one finds. Suffice to say virtually all scientists agree that we do need a broad spectrum of a large number of minerals and trace elements. So, the necessity for supplementation becomes patently obvious, if the food no longer has it, and we need minerals... then pass the mineral supplements, please. But what supplements? 1. ELEMENTAL Let's look at the four types one by one. Least beneficial are the supplements containing minerals in the elemental form. That means the mineral is just mentioned on the label. It's not ionized, it's not chelated, it's not complexed with an oxide or a carbonate or a sulfate, or with a food, and it's not colloidal. Like under "ingredients" it just says "iron" or "copper," or "calcium," etc. Elemental minerals are obviously the cheapest to make. A liquid would only have to be poured over some nails to be said to contain iron. Elemental minerals are the most common in supermarket and over the counter health store supplements. They may not be toxic, as long as only the minerals mentioned on the label are included in the supplement. The problem is absorption: it's between 1 and 8 percent. The rest passes right through. Not only a waste of money; also a waste of energy: it has to be processed out of the body. This can actually use up available mineral stores. 2. IONIC Next comes ionic minerals. Usually a step up. Ionic means in the form of ions. Ions are unstable molecules that want to bind with other molecules. An ion is an incomplete molecule. There is a definite pathway for the absorption of ionic minerals through the gut (intestine) into the blood. In fact, any percent of the elemental minerals that actually got absorbed became ions first, by being dissolved in stomach acids. Ionic minerals are not absorbed through the intestine intact. The model for mineral ion absorption through the intestine is as follows. Ions are absorbed through the gut by a complicated process involving becoming attached or chelated to some special carrier proteins in the intestinal wall. Active transport is involved; meaning, energy is required to bring the ionic mineral from inside the intestine through the lining, to be deposited in the bloodstream on the other side. Ionic minerals may be a good source of nutrients for the body, depending upon the type of ions, and on how difficult it is for the ion to get free at the appropriate moment and location. Minerals require an acidic environment for absorption. Low pH (less than 7) is acidic; high pH (above 7) is alkaline. As the stomach contents at pH 2 empty into the small intestine, the first few centimeters of the small intestine is the optimum location for mineral absorption. The acidic state is necessary for ionization of the dissolved minerals. If the pH is too alkaline, the ions won't disassociate from whatever they're complexed with, and will simply pass on through to the colon without being absorbed. As the mineral ions are presented to the lining of the intestine, if all conditions are right, and there are not too much of competing minerals present, the ions will begin to be taken across the intestinal barrier, making their way into the bloodstream. This is a complicated, multi-step process, beyond the scope of this article. Simply, it involves the attachment of the free mineral ion to some carrier proteins within the intestinal membrane, which drag the ion across and free it into the bloodstream. A lot happens during the transfer, and much energy is required for all the steps. Just the right conditions and timing are necessary - proper pH, presence of vitamins for some, and the right section of the small intestine. Iron, manganese, zinc, copper - these ions are bound to the carrier proteins which are embedded in the intestinal lining. The binding is accomplished by a sort of chelation process, which simply describes the type of binding which holds the ion. The carrier protein or ligand hands off the mineral to another larger carrier protein located deeper within the intestinal wall. After several other steps, if all conditions are favourable, the ion is finally deposited on the other side of the intestinal wall: the bloodstream, now usable by the cells. Ionic mineral supplements do not guarantee absorption by their very nature, although they are certainly much more likely to be absorbed than are minerals in the raw, elemental state. However, ionic minerals are in the form required for uptake by the carrier proteins that reside in the intestinal wall. The uncertainties with ionic minerals include how many, how much, and what else are the unstable ions likely to become bound to before the carrier proteins pick them up. All ionic supplements are not created equal. Just because it's an ion doesn't mean a supplemental mineral will be absorbed. Too many and too big a quantity of specific minerals in a poorly designed supplement will compete for absorption. Too much of one or more minerals will crowd out the others. The idea is to offer the body an opportunity for balance; rather than to overload it with the hope that some will make it through somehow. Minerals are biologically active in tiny amounts and the best supplements are the ones that provide micro doses at non toxic levels. Recent scientific developments indicate far greater absorption of ionised minerals once they are complexed with organic fulvic acid. The same organic acid found in healthy soil full of micro-organisms, which allows elemental minerals to be absorbed and utilized by growing plants. The bio availability of minerals once complexed with organic fulvic acid is many times greater than minerals simply in an ionized form. 3. COLLOIDAL Speaking of overloading, the third type of supplemental minerals is the one we hear the most about: colloidal. What does colloidal really mean? Colloidal refers to a solution, a dispersion medium in which mineral particles are so well suspended that they never settle out: you never have to shake the bottle. The other part of the dictionary definition has to do with diffusion through a membrane: "will not diffuse easily through vegetable or animal membrane." Yet this is supposed to be the whole rationale for taking colloidal minerals - their absorbability. Colloidal guru Joel Wallach himself continuously claims that it is precisely the colloidal form of the minerals that allows for easy diffusion and absorption across the intestinal membrane, because the particles are so small. Wallach claims 98% absorption, but cites no studies, experiments, journal articles or research of any kind to back up this figure. Why not? Because there aren't any. The research on colloidal minerals has never been done. It's not out there. Senate Document 264 doesn't really cover it. In reality, colloidal minerals are actually larger than ionic minerals, as discussed by researcher Max Motyka, MS. Because of the molecular size and suspension in the colloid medium, which Dorland's Medical dictionary describes as "like glue," absorption is inhibited, not enhanced. No less an authority than Dr. Royal Lee the man responsible for pointing out the distinction between whole food vitamins and synthetic vitamins, stated: "A colloidal mineral is one that has been so altered that it will no longer pass through cell walls or other organic membranes." Does that sound like easy absorption? Stedman's Medical Dictionary talks about colloids ..."resisting sedimentation, diffusion, and filtration..." Again, resisting diffusion seems to indicate inhibition of absorption, not increased absorption, wouldn't you think? As Alexander Schauss and Parris Kidd both explain... "colloids are suspensions of minerals in clay and water. Clay often has levels of aluminum as high as 3000 parts per million, with safety levels set at 10 ppm or lower (Kidd). Aluminum has been proven to kill nerve cells, which we now see in the patho-physiology of Alzheimer's." Dr. Schauss characterizes the aluminum content as the big problem with colloidal minerals. He cites a standard geology reference text - Dana's Manual of Mineralogy - describing clay as primarily aluminum: "Clay minerals are essentially hydrous aluminum silicates." - Dana's Manual, p436 And another geology text: "[clays] are essentially hydrous aluminum silicates and are usually formed from the alteration of aluminum silicates." - Mineral Recognition p 273 Schauss finds references as high as 4400 PPM of aluminum in colloidal clay. Schauss states that he has done an exhaustive search for any human studies using colloidal minerals and after searching 2000 journals, like everyone else, has come up with zero. For a mineral to be absorbed, it must be either in the ionic state and preferably complexed with organic fulvic acid, or else chelated, as explained above. The percentage of colloidal minerals which actually does get absorbed has to have been ionized somehow, due to the acidic conditions in the small intestine. Only then is the mineral capable of being taken up by the carrier proteins in the intestinal membrane, as mentioned above. But why create the extra step? Ionic minerals would be superior to colloidal, because they don't have to be dissociated from a suspension medium, which is by definition non-diffusible. All this extra work costs the body in energy and reserves. In an editorial in Am J of Nat Med, Jan 97, Alexander Schauss further points out the error of Wallach's claims. Wallach states that colloidal minerals are negatively charged, and this enhances intestinal absorption. The problem is his science is 180° backward: Wallach claims the charge of the intestinal mucosa is positive, but all other sources have known for decades that the mucosal charge is negative. (Guyton, p13) This is why ionic minerals are presented to the intestinal surface as cations (positively charged ions). Opposites attract, like repels - remember? Another big minus for colloidals. QUALITY CONTROL What consistency of percentages of each mineral from batch to batch is there? Very simply, there isn't any with most of the mega mineral supplements, as many of the manufacturers will themselves admit. The ancient lakes and glaciers apparently have not been very accommodating when it comes to percent composition. Such a range of variation might be acceptable in, say, grenade tossing or blood dilution in seawater necessary to attract a shark, or IQ threshold of terrorists, or other areas where high standards of precision are not crucial. But a nutritional supplement that is supposed to enhance health by swallowing it - this is an area in which the details of composition should be fairly visible, verifiable, the same every time. To ensure you are getting the minerals and trace elements at the correct rate a reputable company will use standardization techniques for all the minerals which have are known to be essential and only include the lesser known elements in micro amounts. In addition a properly formulated mineral supplement will have been rigorously tested for the poisonous and toxic minerals such as aluminum, lead and cadmium and all traces removed. In many of these 80-trace-mineral toddies, there is no way of testing the presence or absence of many of the individual minerals. Many established essential trace minerals do not even have an agreed-upon recommended daily allowance, for two reasons: 1. The research has never been done 2. The amounts are too small to be measured. TOXICITY AND COMPETITION Some essential minerals are toxic in excess, but essential in small amounts. Iron, chlorine, sodium, zinc, selenium and copper are in this category. Toxic levels have been established, and resulting pathologies have been identified: we know what diseases are caused by their excesses. How risky is it to take in 40 or 50 minerals for which no toxicity levels have ever been set? Again it must be stressed that micro amounts of trace elements, similar to levels found in plants growing on properly mineralised land is the only safe way to be taking a broad spectrum mineral supplement. The problem is selective utilization, as explained by Dr. Parris Kidd. Toxic trace minerals may closely resemble the essential minerals in atomic configuration. The result is competition for enzyme sites by two similar minerals only one of which is beneficial: "aluminum competes with silicon cadmium competes with zinc tellurium competes with selenium lanthanum competes with calcium..." - Kidd, p42 We also know that zinc competes with iron. (Erasmus) A separate hoax is being played out with COLLOIDAL SILVER: Used by many as a "natural antibiotic." Extremely uninformed physicians recommend daily doses of colloidal silver, in order to "prevent" colds, in the absence of any studies or trials whatsoever. As Dr. Kidd points out: "...the body is not well-equipped to handle silver. This element can poison the kidneys, become deposited in the brain, and even give to the skin a gunmetal type of gloss." Doug Grant, a nutritionist, cites several minerals which frequently appear on the ingredient labels of certain mega-mineral products - they actually admit their supplements contain or "may contain" some of the following: (the phrase "may contain" has always been scary for me. If they're not sure, then what else is there that this product "may contain" that they don't know about?) Aluminium: Documented since the article in Lancet 14 Jan 1989 to be associated with Alzheimer's Disease, as well as blocking absorption of essential minerals like calcium, iron, and fluoride. If you want to ingest large amounts of aluminium simply start taking antacid tablets or absorb it through your skin by applying anti-deodorant under the arms! Silver: questionable as a single-dose antibiotic, consistent intake of silver accumulates in the blood-forming organs - spleen, liver, and bone marrow-, as well as the skin, lungs, and muscles. Serious pathologies have resulted: blood disorders, cirrhosis, pulmonary edema, chronic bronchitis, and a permanent skin condition known as argyria, to name just a few. Silver is better left in the ancient lakes, and in tableware. It should not be taken regularly as a supplement on its own. Gold: Manufacturers of mega-minerals hawk that "there's more gold in a ton of seawater than there is in a ton of ore." So what? Our blood is not seawater; it evolved from seawater. Gold used to be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but has largely been abandoned when they proved that it caused kidney cell destruction, bone marrow suppression, and immune abnormalities. Lithium: Rarely used as an antipsychotic medication, lithium definitely can cause blackouts, coma, psychosis, kidney damage, and seizures. Outside of that, it should be fine. The list goes on and on. These are just a few examples of mineral toxicities about which we have some idea. But for at least half the minerals in the mega toddies, we know nothing at all. 4. CHELATED The fourth form of supplemental minerals is the chelated variety. Some clarification of this term is immediately necessary. Chelated is a general term that describes a certain chemical configuration, or shape of a compound in which some molecule gets hooked up with some other chemical structures. When a mineral is bound or stuck to certain carrier molecules, which are known as chelating agents, or ligands, and a ring-like molecule is the result, we say that a chelate is formed. Chelate is from the Greek word for claw, suggested by the open v-shape of the two ligands on each side, with the mineral ion in the center. Chelation occurs in many situations. Many things can be chelated, including minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Minerals in food may be bound with organic molecules in a chelated state. Many molecules in the body are chelated in normal metabolic processes. The carrier proteins in the intestinal wall discussed above, whose job it is to transport ionic minerals - these chelate the ions. Another sense of the word chelation as exemplified in a mainstream therapy for removing heavy metals from the blood is called chelation therapy. The toxic metals are bound to a therapeutic amino acid ligand called EDTA. With a Pac-Man action, the metals are thus removed from the blood. Molecular weight is measured in units called daltons. The ligands or binding agents may very small (800 daltons) or very large (500,000 daltons) resulting in a many sizes of chelates. Mineral + ligand = chelate. Generally the largest chelates are the most stable, and also the most difficult to absorb. Ionic minerals absorbed through the intestine are chelated to the carrier proteins, at least two separate times. Using the word chelated with respect to mineral supplements refers a very specific type of chelation. The idea is to bind the mineral ion to ligands that will facilitate absorption of the mineral through the intestine into the bloodstream, bypassing the pathway used for ionic mineral absorption. Sometimes minerals prepared in this way are described as "pre-chelated" since any ionic mineral will be chelated anyway once it is taken up by the intestinal membrane. After decades of research at Albion Laboratories in Utah, it was learned that small quantities of amino acids, especially glycine, are the best ligands for chelating minerals, for three reasons: (You will find the best mineral formulas are always combined with amino acids especially glycine. Eds note) 1. Bypasses the entire process of chelation by the intestine's own carrier proteins 2. Facilitates absorption by an entirely different pathway of intestinal absorption, skipping the intermediate steps which ionic minerals go through 3. The chelate will be the at the most absorbable molecular weight for intestinal transfer: less than 1500 daltons It has also been established beyond controversy that certain pairs of amino acids (dipeptides) are the easiest of all chelates to be absorbed, often easier than individual amino acids. Proteins are made of amino acids. Normal digestion presumably breaks down the proteins to its amino acid building blocks so they can be absorbed. But total breakdown is not always necessary. It has long been known that many nutrient chains of two or three or even more amino acids may be absorbed just as easily as single amino acids. Food-bound copper, vitamin C with hemoglobin molecule, animal protein zinc, are some examples of amino acids chelates that are easily absorbed intact. (Intestinal Absorption of Metal Ions, Chapter 7). To take another example, in abnormal digestion it is well known that chains of amino acids - dipeptides, tripeptides, even polypeptide proteins - sometimes become absorbed intact in a pathology known to gastroenterologists as Leaky Gut Syndrome. Obviously it is not healthy and has many adverse consequences, but the point is that amino acids chains are frequently absorbed, for many different reasons. It's not always like it says in the boldface section headings in Guyton's Physiology. The reason these dipeptide chelates are absorbed faster than ionic minerals is that the chelated mineral was bonded tightly enough so that it did not dissociate in the acidic small intestine and offer itself for capture by the intestinal membrane's carrier proteins. That whole process was thus avoided. The chelate is absorbed intact. An easier form. This is a vast oversimplification, and the most concise summary, of why chelated minerals may be superior to the standard ionic forms of mineral supplements, provided it's the right chelate. Only a specific chelate can resist digestion and maintain its integrity as it is absorbed through the gut. Again, all chelates are not created equal. Inferior chelates, used because they are cheaper to produce, include the following: - carbonates - citrates - oxides - sulphates - chlorides - phosphates Take the smallest amounts possible of any others. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The breakdown of foodstuffs is accomplished through a
combination of mechanical and enzymatic processes. To accomplish
this breakdown, the digestive tube requires considerable assistance
from accessory digestive organs such as the salivary glands, liver
and pancreas, which dump their secretions into the tube. The name
"accessory" should not be taken to mean dispensable; indeed, without
pancreatic enzymes you would starve to death in short order. In many ways, the digestive system can be thought of as a well-run factory in which a large number of complex tasks are performed. The three fundamental processes that take place are: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Each part of the digestive tube performs at least some of these tasks, and different regions of the tube have unique and important specializations. Like any well-run factory, proper function of the digestive system requires robust control systems. Control systems must facilitate communication among different sections of the digestive tract (i.e. control on the factory floor), and between the digestive tract and the brain (i.e. between workers and management). Control of digestive function is achieved through a combination of electrical and hormonal messages which originate either within the digestive system's own nervous and endocrine systems, as well as from the central nervous system and from endocrine organs such as the adrenal gland. Different parts of these systems are constantly talking to one another. The basic messages are along the lines of "I just received an extraordinary load of food, so I suggest you get prepared" (stomach to large intestine) or "For goodness sake, please slow down until I can catch up with what you've already given me" (small intestine to stomach). The digestive system is composed of the digestive or alimentary tube and accessory digestive organs. The basic terminology used to describe parts of the digestive system is shown below and more detailed description of each is presented in later sections. The digestive system is composed of the digestive or alimentary tube and accessory digestive organs. The basic terminology used to describe parts of the digestive system is shown below and more detailed description of each is presented in later sections. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The digestive system depicted above - a carnivore
- is the simplist among mammals. Other species, even humans, have a
more or very much more extensive large intestine, and ruminants like
cattle and sheep have a large set of forestomachs through which food
passes before it reaches the stomach. Each of the organs shown above contributes to the digestive process in several unique ways. If you were to describe their most important or predominant function, and summarize shamelessly, the list would look something like this: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The digestive system depicted above - a carnivore - is the simplest among mammals. Other species, even humans, have a more or very much more extensive large intestine, and ruminants like cattle and sheep have a large set of fore stomachs through which food passes before it reaches the stomach. Each of the organs shown above contributes to the digestive process in several unique ways. If you were to describe their most important or predominant function, and summarize shamelessly, the list would look something like this: Mouth: Foodstuffs are broken down mechanically by chewing and saliva is added as a lubricant. In some species, saliva contains amylase, an enzyme that digests starch. Esophagus: A simple conduit between the mouth and stomach - clearly important but only marginally interesting compared to other regions of the tube. Stomach: Where the real action begins - enzymatic digestion of proteins initiated and foodstuffs reduced to liquid form. Liver: The center of metabolic activity in the body - its major role in the digestive process is to provide bile salts to the small intestine, which are critical for digestion and absorption of fats. Pancreas: Important roles as both an endocrine and exocrine organ - provides a potent mixture of digestive enzymes to the small intestine which are critical for digestion of fats, carbohydrates and protein. Small Intestine: The most exciting place to be in the entire digestive system - this is where the final stages of chemical enzymatic digestion occur and where almost almost all nutrients are absorbed. Large Intestine: Major differences among species in extent and importance - in all animals water is absorbed, bacterial fermentation takes place and feces are formed. In carnivores, that's about the extent of it, but in herbivores like the horse, the large intestine is huge and of critical importance for utilization of cellulose. Mineral absorption means transferring the mineral from the digestive tract through the wall of the intestine, into the bloodstream. You really have to picture this: the digestive tract is just a long tube, from one end to the other. As long as food and nutrients are inside this tube, they are actually considered to be still outside the body, because they haven't been absorbed into the bloodstream yet. This is an essential concept to understanding mineral absorption. Minerals can't do any good unless they make it into the bloodstream. This is exactly why most minerals bought at the supermarket and over the counter from health shops, are almost worthless: they pass right through the body - in one end and out the other. It's also why many nutritionists' and dieticians' advice is valueless; they commonly pretend and even believe their own hype that everything that is eaten is absorbed. Two main reasons for lack of absorption: The pill never dissolved in the first place and was excreted along with other undigested stuff. The mineral was in its elemental form and was bio-unavailable. (non-nutrient, e.g., iron filings) Let's say these problems are overcome. . .neither is true. . .or, let's say the mineral is contained within some food, such as iron in molasses, or potassium in bananas. Food-bound minerals are attached or complexed to organic molecules. Absorption into the blood is vastly increased, made easy. The mineral is not just a foreign metal that has been ingested; it is part of food. This is very important for the absorption of all minerals. Fruits and vegetables with high mineral content are the best way to provide the body with adequate nutrition. Food-bound minerals are the original mode. As already cited above however, sufficient mineral content is an increasingly rare occurrence. Foods simply don't have sufficient quantities of most trace elements and minerals to properly sustain life. How little or what portion of normal depends on what studies one finds. Suffice to say virtually all scientists agree that we do need a broad spectrum of a large number of minerals and trace elements. So, the necessity for supplementation becomes patently obvious, if the food no longer has it, and we need minerals... then pass the mineral supplements, please. But what supplements? 1. ELEMENTAL Let's look at the four types one by one. Least beneficial are the supplements containing minerals in the elemental form. That means the mineral is just mentioned on the label. It's not ionized, it's not chelated, it's not complexed with an oxide or a carbonate or a sulfate, or with a food, and it's not colloidal. Like under "ingredients" it just says "iron" or "copper," or "calcium," etc. Elemental minerals are obviously the cheapest to make. A liquid would only have to be poured over some nails to be said to contain iron. Elemental minerals are the most common in supermarket and over the counter health store supplements. They may not be toxic, as long as only the minerals mentioned on the label are included in the supplement. The problem is absorption: it's between 1 and 8 percent. The rest passes right through. Not only a waste of money; also a waste of energy: it has to be processed out of the body. This can actually use up available mineral stores. 2. IONIC Next look at ionic minerals. Usually they are a step up. Ionic means in the form of ions. Ions are unstable molecules that want to bind with other molecules. An ion is an incomplete molecule. There is a definite pathway for the absorption of ionic minerals through the gut (intestine) into the blood. In fact, any percent of the elemental minerals that actually got absorbed became ions first, by being dissolved in stomach acids. Ionic minerals are not absorbed through the intestine intact. The model for mineral ion absorption through the intestine is as follows. Ions are absorbed through the gut by a complicated process involving becoming attached or chelated to some special carrier proteins in the intestinal wall. Active transport is involved; meaning, energy is required to bring the ionic mineral from inside the intestine through the lining, to be deposited in the bloodstream on the other side. Ionic minerals may be a good source of nutrients for the body, depending upon the type of ions, and on how difficult it is for the ion to get free at the appropriate moment and location. Minerals require an acidic environment for absorption. Low pH (less than 7) is acidic; high pH (above 7) is alkaline. As the stomach contents at pH 2 empty into the small intestine, the first few centimeters of the small intestine is the optimum location for mineral absorption. The acidic state is necessary for ionization of the dissolved minerals. If the pH is too alkaline, the ions won't disassociate from whatever they're complexed with, and will simply pass on through to the colon without being absorbed. As the mineral ions are presented to the lining of the intestine, if all conditions are right, and there are not too much of competing minerals present, the ions will begin to be taken across the intestinal barrier, making their way into the bloodstream. This is a complicated, multi-step process, beyond the scope of this article. Simply, it involves the attachment of the free mineral ion to some carrier proteins within the intestinal membrane, which drag the ion across and free it into the bloodstream. A lot happens during the transfer, and much energy is required for all the steps. Just the right conditions and timing are necessary - proper pH, presence of vitamins for some, and the right section of the small intestine. Iron, manganese, zinc, copper - these ions are bound to the carrier proteins which are embedded in the intestinal lining. The binding is accomplished by a sort of chelation process, which simply describes the type of binding which holds the ion. The carrier protein or ligand hands off the mineral to another larger carrier protein located deeper within the intestinal wall. After several other steps, if all conditions are favourable, the ion is finally deposited on the other side of the intestinal wall: the bloodstream, now usable by the cells. Ionic mineral supplements do not guarantee absorption by their very nature, although they are certainly much more likely to be absorbed than are minerals in the raw, elemental state. However, ionic minerals are in the form required for uptake by the carrier proteins that reside in the intestinal wall. The uncertainties with ionic minerals include how many, how much, and what else are the unstable ions likely to become bound to before the carrier proteins pick them up. All ionic supplements are not created equal. Just because it's an ion doesn't mean a supplemental mineral will be absorbed. Too many and too big a quantity of specific minerals in a poorly designed supplement will compete for absorption. Too much of one or more minerals will crowd out the others. The idea is to offer the body an opportunity for balance; rather than to overload it with the hope that some will make it through somehow. Minerals are biologically active in tiny amounts and the best supplements are the ones that provide micro doses at non toxic levels. Recent scientific developments indicate far greater absorption of ionized minerals once they are complexed with organic fulvic acid. The same organic acid found in healthy soil full of micro-organisms, which allows elemental minerals to be absorbed and utilized by growing plants. The bio availability of minerals once complexed with organic fulvic acid is many times greater than minerals simply in an ionized form. 3. COLLOIDAL Speaking of overloading, the third type of supplemental minerals is the one we hear the most about: colloidal. What does colloidal really mean? Colloidal refers to a solution, a dispersion medium in which mineral particles are so well suspended that they never settle out: you never have to shake the bottle. The other part of the dictionary definition has to do with diffusion through a membrane: "will not diffuse easily through vegetable or animal membrane." Yet this is supposed to be the whole rationale for taking colloidal minerals - their absorbability. Colloidal guru Joel Wallach himself continuously claims that it is precisely the colloidal form of the minerals that allows for easy diffusion and absorption across the intestinal membrane, because the particles are so small. Wallach claims 98% absorption, but cites “NO” studies, experiments, journal articles or research of any kind to back up this figure. Why not? Because there aren't any. The research on colloidal minerals has never been done. It's not out there. Senate Document 264 doesn't really cover it. In reality, colloidal minerals are actually larger than ionic minerals, as discussed by researcher Max Motyka, MS. Because of the molecular size and suspension in the colloid medium, which Dorland's Medical dictionary describes as "like glue," absorption is inhibited, not enhanced. No less an authority than Dr. Royal Lee the man responsible for pointing out the distinction between whole food vitamins and synthetic vitamins, stated: "A colloidal mineral is one that has been so altered that it will no longer pass through cell walls or other organic membranes." Does that sound like easy absorption? Stedman's Medical Dictionary talks about colloids . . ."resisting sedimentation, diffusion, and filtration..." Again, resisting diffusion seems to indicate inhibition of absorption, not increased absorption, wouldn't you think? As Alexander Schauss and Parris Kidd both explain... "colloids are suspensions of minerals in clay and water. Clay often has levels of aluminum as high as 3000 parts per million, with safety levels set at 10 ppm or lower (Kidd). Aluminum has been proven to kill nerve cells, which we now see in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's." Dr. Schauss characterizes the aluminium content as the big problem with colloidal minerals. He cites a standard geology reference text - Dana's Manual of Mineralogy - describing clay as primarily aluminum: "Clay minerals are essentially hydrous aluminum silicates." - Dana's Manual, p436 And another geology text: "[clays] are essentially hydrous aluminum silicates and are usually formed from the alteration of aluminum silicates." - Mineral Recognition p 273 Schauss finds references as high as 4400 PPM of aluminum in colloidal clay. Schauss states that he has done an exhaustive search for any human studies using colloidal minerals and after searching 2000 journals, like everyone else, has come up with zero. For a mineral to be absorbed, it must be either in the ionic state and preferably complexed with organic fulvic acid, or else chelated, as explained above. The percentage of colloidal minerals which actually does get absorbed has to have been ionized somehow, due to the acidic conditions in the small intestine. Only then is the mineral capable of being taken up by the carrier proteins in the intestinal membrane, as mentioned above. But why create the extra step? Ionic minerals would be superior to colloidal, because they don't have to be dissociated from a suspension medium, which is by definition non-diffusible. All this extra work costs the body in energy and reserves. In an editorial in Am J of Nat Med, Jan 97, Alexander Schauss further points out the error of Wallach's claims. Wallach states that colloidal minerals are negatively charged, and this enhances intestinal absorption. The problem is his science is 180° backward: Wallach claims the charge of the intestinal mucosa is positive, but all other sources have known for decades that the mucosal charge is negative. (Guyton, p13) This is why ionic minerals are presented to the intestinal surface as cations (positively charged ions). Opposites attract, like repels - remember? Another big minus for colloidals. QUALITY CONTROL What consistency of percentages of each mineral from batch to batch is there? Very simply, there isn't any with most of the mega mineral supplements, as many of the manufacturers will themselves admit. The ancient lakes and glaciers apparently have not been very accommodating when it comes to percent composition. Such a range of variation might be acceptable in, say, grenade tossing or blood dilution in seawater necessary to attract a shark, or IQ threshold of terrorists, or other areas where high standards of precision are not crucial. But a nutritional supplement that is supposed to enhance health by swallowing it - this is an area in which the details of composition should be fairly visible, verifiable, the same every time. To ensure you are getting the minerals and trace elements at the correct rate a reputable company will use standardization techniques for all the minerals which have are known to be essential and only include the lesser known elements in micro amounts. In addition, a properly formulated mineral supplement will have been rigorously tested for the poisonous and toxic minerals such as aluminum, lead and cadmium and all traces removed. In many of these 80-trace-mineral toddies, there is no way of testing the presence or absence of many of the individual minerals. Many established essential trace minerals do not even have an agreed-upon recommended daily allowance, for two reasons: 1. The research has never been done 2. The amounts are too small to be measured. TOXICITY AND COMPETITION Some essential minerals are toxic in excess, but essential in small amounts. Iron, chlorine, sodium, zinc, selenium and copper are in this category. Toxic levels have been established, and resulting pathologies have been identified: we know what diseases are caused by their excesses. How risky is it to take in 40 or 50 minerals for which no toxicity levels have ever been set? Again it must be stressed that micro amounts of trace elements, similar to levels found in plants growing on properly mineralized land is the only safe way to be taking a broad spectrum mineral supplement. The problem is selective utilization, as explained by Dr. Parris Kidd. Toxic trace minerals may closely resemble the essential minerals in atomic configuration. The result is competition for enzyme sites by two similar minerals only one of which is beneficial: "aluminum competes with silicon cadmium competes with zinc tellurium competes with selenium lanthanum competes with calcium..." - Kidd, p42 We also know that zinc competes with iron. (Erasmus) A separate hoax is being played out with COLLOIDAL SILVER: Used by many as a "natural antibiotic." Extremely uninformed physicians recommend daily doses of colloidal silver, in order to "prevent" colds, in the absence of any studies or trials whatsoever. As Dr. Kidd points out: ". . .the body is not well-equipped to handle silver. This element can poison the kidneys, become deposited in the brain, and even give to the skin a gunmetal type of gloss." Doug Grant, a nutritionist, cites several minerals which frequently appear on the ingredient labels of certain mega-mineral products - they actually admit their supplements contain or "may contain" some of the following: (the phrase "may contain" has always been scary for me. If they're not sure, then what else is there that this product "may contain" that they don't know about?) Aluminum: Documented since the article in Lancet 14 Jan 1989 to be associated with Alzheimer's Disease, as well as blocking absorption of essential minerals like calcium, iron, and fluoride. If you want to ingest large amounts of aluminum simply start taking antacid tablets or absorb it through your skin by applying anti-deodorant under the arms! Silver: questionable as a single-dose antibiotic, consistent intake of silver accumulates in the blood-forming organs - spleen, liver, and bone marrow-, as well as the skin, lungs, and muscles. Serious pathologies have resulted: blood disorders, cirrhosis, pulmonary edema, chronic bronchitis, and a permanent skin condition known as argyria, to name just a few. Silver is better left in the ancient lakes, and in tableware. It should not be taken regularly as a supplement on its own. Gold: Manufacturers of mega-minerals hawk that "there's more gold in a ton of seawater than there is in a ton of ore." So what? Our blood is not seawater; it evolved from seawater. Gold used to be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but has largely been abandoned when they proved that it caused kidney cell destruction, bone marrow suppression, and immune abnormalities. Lithium: Rarely used as an antipsychotic medication, lithium definitely can cause blackouts, coma, psychosis, kidney damage, and seizures. Outside of that, it should be fine. The list goes on and on. These are just a few examples of mineral toxicities about which we have some idea. But for at least half the minerals in the mega toddies, we know nothing at all. 4. CHELATED The fourth form of supplemental minerals is the chelated variety. Some clarification of this term is immediately necessary. Chelated is a general term that describes a certain chemical configuration, or shape of a compound in which some molecule gets hooked up with some other chemical structures. When a mineral is bound or stuck to certain carrier molecules, which are known as chelating agents, or ligands, and a ring-like molecule is the result, we say that a chelate is formed. Chelate is from the Greek word for claw, suggested by the open v-shape of the two ligands on each side, with the mineral ion in the center. Chelation occurs in many situations. Many things can be chelated, including minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Minerals in food may be bound with organic molecules in a chelated state. Many molecules in the body are chelated in normal metabolic processes. The carrier proteins in the intestinal wall discussed above, whose job it is to transport ionic minerals - these chelate the ions. Another sense of the word chelation as exemplified in a mainstream therapy for removing heavy metals from the blood is called chelation therapy. The toxic metals are bound to a therapeutic amino acid ligand called EDTA. With a Pac-Man action, the metals are thus removed from the blood. Molecular weight is measured in units called daltons. The ligands or binding agents may very small (800 daltons) or very large (500,000 daltons) resulting in a many sizes of chelates. Mineral + ligand = chelate. Generally the largest chelates are the most stable, and also the most difficult to absorb. Ionic minerals absorbed through the intestine are chelated to the carrier proteins, at least two separate times. Using the word chelated with respect to mineral supplements refers a very specific type of chelation. The idea is to bind the mineral ion to ligands that will facilitate absorption of the mineral through the intestine into the bloodstream, bypassing the pathway used for ionic mineral absorption. Sometimes minerals prepared in this way are described as "pre-chelated" since any ionic mineral will be chelated anyway once it is taken up by the intestinal membrane. After decades of research at Albion Laboratories in Utah, it was learned that small quantities of amino acids, especially glycine, are the best ligands for chelating minerals, for three reasons: (You will find the best mineral formulas are always combined with amino acids especially glycine. Editors note) 1. Bypasses the entire process of chelation by the intestine's own carrier proteins 2. Facilitates absorption by an entirely different pathway of intestinal absorption, skipping the intermediate steps which ionic minerals go through 3. The chelate will be the at the most absorbable molecular weight for intestinal transfer: less than 1500 daltons It has also been established beyond controversy that certain pairs of amino acids (dipeptides) are the easiest of all chelates to be absorbed, often easier than individual amino acids. Proteins are made of amino acids. Normal digestion presumably breaks down the proteins to its amino acid building blocks so they can be absorbed. But total breakdown is not always necessary. It has long been known that many nutrient chains of two or three or even more amino acids may be absorbed just as easily as single amino acids. Food-bound copper, vitamin C with hemoglobin molecule, animal protein zinc, are some examples of amino acids chelates that are easily absorbed intact. (Intestinal Absorption of Metal Ions, Chapter 7). To take another example, in abnormal digestion it is well known that chains of amino acids - dipeptides, tripeptides, even polypeptide proteins - sometimes become absorbed intact in a pathology known to gastroenterologists as Leaky Gut Syndrome. Obviously it is not healthy and has many adverse consequences, but the point is that amino acids chains are frequently absorbed, for many different reasons. It's not always like it says in the boldface section headings in Guyton's Physiology. The reason these dipeptide chelates are absorbed faster than ionic minerals is that the chelated mineral was bonded tightly enough so that it did not dissociate in the acidic small intestine and offer itself for capture by the intestinal membrane's carrier proteins. That whole process was thus avoided. The chelate is absorbed intact. An easier form. This is a vast oversimplification, and the most concise summary, of why chelated minerals may be superior to the standard ionic forms of mineral supplements, provided it's the right chelate. Only a specific chelate can resist digestion and maintain its integrity as it is absorbed through the gut. Again, all chelates are not created equal. Inferior chelates, used because they are cheaper to produce, include the following: - carbonates - citrates - oxides - sulphates - chlorides - phosphates If the label gives one of these chelates, it means the mineral is bound either too strongly or not tightly enough, and will be released at the wrong time and the wrong place. Chelation of minerals in nutrient supplements is a very precise science, yielding chelates superior to those occurring naturally in foods. Intact absorption is faster, easier, and requires less metabolic energy, provided the chelate is about 1500 daltons. To compare chelated and ionic minerals, once the research is presented, there is really not much of a dispute about which is absorbed faster, ionic minerals or dipeptide-like amino acid chelates. Meticulous isotope testing has shown the following increases in percent absorption of chelates, as compared with ionic: Iron 490% greater Copper 580% greater Magnesium 410% greater Calcium 421% greater Manganese 340% greater - Source: Journal of Applied Nutrition 22:42 1970 Again, this is just the briefest glance at the prodigious amount of research comparing ionic with chelated minerals, but the results are uniform. The winner of the bioavailability contest is: chelated minerals, provided the chelate was maintained as small as possible, generally using glycine as the amino acid ligands, at a total weight of about 1500 daltons. (In the case of ionised minerals complexed with organic fulvic acid, amino acids including glycine, phyto-nutrients and essential vitamins, the balance swings back in favor of the ionized formula. New research is indicating that mineral formulas presented to the body in these complex matrixes are the most bio-available of all the mineral formulas on the market. Editors note). FOOD-BOUND CHELATED MINERALS Often you will hear this or that company claiming that "organic" minerals contained in food are the best, cannot be improved upon, and are superior to all possible types of mineral supplements. This is almost true. The only exception is glycine-chelated minerals, for two reasons: - the exact amount of minerals in any food is extremely variable and difficult to measure, even if there is high mineral content of the soil. Pesticides destroy root organisms in the soil. These bugs play a major role in selective mineral absorption. (Jensen p 55) The ligands that bind the mineral in the food chelate may be too strong or too weak to dissociate at exactly the right time for maximum absorption in the human digestive tract. Glycine chelates are uniform and easily measurable. No question about dosage. Marketing is a wonderful thing - two different companies are now attributing the longevity of the Hunza tribe in Pakistan to two entirely different properties of their water: one, the minerals; the other, molecular configuration. A classic error in logic is described as "post hoc, ergo propter hoc" - after this, therefore because of this. Maybe it was the weather that made the Hunzas live longer, or their grains, or the absence of toothpaste or webservers or. . .Marketing is the art of persuasion by suspending logic. The average lifespan of an American is about 75 years. No one has ever proven that taking mineral supplements will extend life because no one has been studying people for long enough as far as minerals are concerned. Many old people never took a mineral or a vitamin in their life. However, by the same token most really old people have lived the vast majority of their years eating far less adulterated, denatured and demineralized food than what young people do today. It really comes down to quality of life and the incidence of chronic and degenerative disease during the lifespan! For how many days or months of the total lifespan was the person ill? We are the walking petri dishes of Alexis Carrel - remember? Carrel was the French biochemist, a Nobel prize winner, who did the famous experiment in which he kept chicken heart cells alive in a petri dish for 28 years just by changing the solutes every day. Could've gone longer, but figured he'd proven his point. Mineral content factors largely in the quality of our solutes: the blood - the milieu interior, the biological terrain. The U.S. has the highest incidence of degenerative diseases of any developed country on earth. (The UK is a very close second. Editors Note) In addition, the infectious diseases are coming back; antibiotics are getting less effective every year. Americans' confidence in prescription drugs is weakening. Allow me to disabuse you of unfounded hopes: cancer and AIDS will never be cured by the discovery of some new drug. It's not going to happen. There probably will never be another Alexander Fleming - turns out penicillin was just a brief detour anyway. Bacteria have had 50 billion years to figure out ways to adapt. The only way that anyone recovers from any illness is when the immune system overcomes the problem. Allergy shots never cured an allergy - people who take allergy shots always have allergies. Our only hope of better health is to do everything possible to build up our natural immune system. One of these preventative measures is nutritional supplementation. It may not be dramatic, but daily deposits to the immune system bank account will pay off down the road. Healthy people don't get sick. With respect to minerals, then, what are our goals? Having once realized the necessity for mineral supplementation, our objectives should be simple: • Take only the minerals proven to be essential that we absolutely need. • Take the smallest amounts possible of any others. • Nothing left over ( no metabolic residue) Some of the above ideas may seem strange and difficult to understand, on first reading. But it is truly a very simplified version of what actually takes place. Most of the technical details were omitted for the sake of clarity and brevity. However, the correctness of the above basic framework is verifiable. The reader is encouraged to flesh things out a little by consulting the attached reference list. We are living in the age of the Junk Science Hustle. Everybody's an expert, often quoting shaky sources, shaky facts, and shaky claims which may have no foundation in physical reality. Seems there's a formula: 1. Get a product 2. Get a marketing company 3. Get some university MD endorsements 4. Get some miraculous testimonials In a certain way, all this is actually a good sign - a natural consequence of the explosion in holistic nutrition and supplementation. Because in the midst of the quagmire of hype and junk science, some truly superlative items have emerged onto the marketplace which have benefited indirectly from biomedical advances evolved in the challenged, time-bomb world of mainstream pharmacology. Most, if not all of the new holistic supplements are far less toxic than standard pharmaceutical drugs, because they're in a category the FDA calls GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe. That's definitely a lot more than we can say for Prozac, fen-phen, and Viagra Etc.) Many of the extraordinary holistic supplements won't be sold in stores, and no one is going to give them away. So welcome to the marketplace. Very time-consuming and confusing is the screening process one must go through to unearth the treasures that can reward the patient and resolute search. Caveat emptor. Are minerals important? Two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling thought so: "You can trace every sickness, every disease, every ailment to mineral deficiency." Using the image of Carrel's solutes in the petri dish as the analogue of blood in our bodies, adequate mineral content is undoubtedly an advantage and a vital component of the body's own solutes in its constant effort to cleanse and operate all its cells at an optimum metabolic vibrancy and resilience. Healthy people don't get sick. Ever! Our special thanks to Dr Tim O'Shea author of this article. You can read more of Dr O'Shea's work on www.thedoctorwithin.com REFERENCES Guyton, A.C., MD --- Textbook of Medical Physiology, 9th Ed. Saunders 1996 Lee, Royal, DDS--- The Mineral Elements in Nutrition Anderson, F.--- "The Thesis of Body Mineral Balancing" Utah Teachers Resource Book Robbins, John --- Diet for a New America Turner --- Relating Land Use and Global Land Cover Change, 1992 Grant, Douglas --- "The Truth About Colloidal Minerals" 1996 Ashmead, H. DeWayne, PhD Intestinal Absorption of Metal Ions and Chelates, 1985---Charles C. Thomas Fisher, Jeffrey A., MD --- The Plague Makers 1996 Ashmead, Harvey, PhD--- "Tissue Transportation of Organic Trace Minerals" J Appl Nutr, 22:42 1970 Underwood, E --- "Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition" Academy Press, New York 73, 1977 Matthews, D --- "Final Discussion" in Peptide Transport and Hydrolysis, Amsterdam: Elselvier, 1977 Miller, G.T. --- Living in the environment: An introduction to environmental science, Sixth edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company 1990 Banik, Allen--- Hunza Land Whitehorn Publ., Long Beach 1960 Taylor, Renee--- Hunza Health Secrets Universal Publishing, NY, 1964 The Merck Manual--- 16th ed., 1996 Carrel, Alexis MD--- Man, The Unknown Dell 1939 Tilden, J.H., MD--- Toxemia Explained 1926 Schauss, A PhD --- "Collloid minerals: clinical implications of clay suspension products' Am J of Nat Med vol4, no.1, Jan-Feb 97 p5 Hurlbut, C et al.--- Dana's Manual of Minerology Wiley & Sons NY 18th Edition p 436 Vander & Kerr ---- Mineral Recognition Wiley & Sons NY 1967 p 273 Kidd, Parris, PhD --- "Colloid and Clay Minerals: Latest Nutrition Fad" Total Health vol 19 no 1 p 41 Motyka, Max, MS--- "Minerals, Trace Minerals, Ultra Trace Minerals" Albion Research Notes vol.5 no.2 May 1996 Jong, Carol, PhD--- Precious Metals 1998 Biomed Publications Journal of the American Medical Association --- 24 Dec 1996 Senate Document 264 --- 74th US Congress, 1936 "US CO2 Budget for Atmosphere & Climate Stabilization"---Presentation, June 1994 International Society for Systems Sciences McDougall, John MD--- McDougall's Medicine: A Challenging Second Opinion Birchall,JD --- "Aluminum, Chemical Physiology, And Alzheimer's Disease" Lancet 29 Oct 1988 Von Leibig, Baron Justus--- The Natural Laws of Husbandry |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
The calcite group is composed of minerals with the general formula of ACO3, where "A" can be one or more of several positive 2 charged metal ions specifically calcium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, zinc, cadmium, manganese and/or nickel. The symmetry of the members of this group is trigonal, bar 3 2/m. The structure consists of layers of A position metal ions alternating with stacks of carbonate layers. The carbonate layers are composed of flat triangular shaped carbonate ions (CO3), with a carbon at the center of the triangle and the three oxygens at each corner. This triangular structural element is the key ingredient in the trigonal symmetry of this group. Of course, the metal ions must also fall into place within the symmetrical arrangement in order to preserve the trigonal symmetry. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Calcite Group is an interesting contrast to the Aragonite Group of minerals. The structure of the Calcite Group is stable at normal temperatures and pressures only with smaller metal ions than the Aragonite Group. The divide is right at the radius of calcium. If the ion is arger than calcium, the mineral's structure will be of the Aragonite Group, otherwise if the ion is smaller than calcium than the mineral's structure will be of the Calcite Group. Ironically, the mineral aragonite is dimorphous with the mineral calcite in that they have the same calcium carbonate chemistry, but different structures. The size of calcium is the same in both minerals, but different crystallization temperatures, pressures and other parameters will decide the structure of the crystallizing mineral, that being either calcite's or aragonite's. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
VITAE©-MYTE™ is all natural. It is a hardened silica based clay mined from volcanic deposits and marketed as a free-flowing, often less than 200 mesh, tan to pink powder with a density of 48 pounds/cubic foot. There are no additives, synthetics or fillers. Some composite of the mineral
have been used by ranchers and alfalfa producers in varying forms
and slightly varying formulas since WWII. These local ranchers mixed
the ground up powder to feed sheep and livestock and used it as a
soil amendment to augment fertilizers for fields of cover crops.
Upon visual inspection users found that it improved plant growth,
aided in fertility (due to more effective immune systems), and could
be incorporated by animals into their blood stream and muscle
structure. However, after almost fifty years of use by these
regional husbandry specialists, up to the time of the new
millennium, NO hard scientific or laboratory research, other than
minor attempts, mostly cursory and very limited in scope, were ever
conducted. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The pinkish rock when ground to 50-200 mesh standards has been determined to be odorless, and while not burning plants, doesn’t restrict aeration or water penetration. The product can range from solid chunks of rock, to a fine dusty powder. VITAE©-MYTE™ is most commonly applied as a very dusty, fine, free-flowing powder (-200 mesh) with a bulk density of approximately 48 pounds per cubic foot. Unlike many soil additive products, VITAE©-MYTE™ is not a true manufactured, or chemically modified fertilizer. However, because the product does contain Potash the distributor, Ever-Gro© Agri-Technology, felt it necessary to register the product as a fertilizer with a caveat in large print, “MUST ADD NITROGEN, POTASSIUM AND PHOSPHORUS for optimal results.” The Distributor has registered VITÆ©-MYTE™ with the New Mexico and Utah Departments of Agriculture-Fertilizer Divisions. Additional registrations are currently pending (08-15-05) in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Idaho. VITÆ©-MYTE™ is 100% all-natural with no chemical additives, synthetics or filters. A geological mineral analysis, describes the material as a rhyolitic tuft breccia. Occurring naturally in hard montmorillonite clay silica imbued rock formations, these deposits are the result of millions of years of erosion, the addition of layer upon layer of biodegradable materials settling to the bottom of ancient prehistoric oceans and a mingling with the dust of volcanic extrusions from earthquakes or ‘cold’ lava being squeezed up to the present day American Intermountain range surface. Similar deposits have been found in New Zealand, South America, and Central Europe. In the early 40’s mineral prospector’s took ore samples from one of the deposits. This sample was sent to Salt Lake City to Dr. Charles Head, ranking scientific expert at the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Placing a tiny particle of the ore beneath the lens of his microscope, Head looked for a long time, and let out a long, low whistle. The ore contained a wide variety of minerals. Dr. Head explained that he had spent six years studying mineral reserves in South America on behalf of the U.S. Government. The multitude of minerals he detected in the pink ore reminded him of the caliché rock of Chile and Peru from which the world’s finest nitrates were mined. While there, Dr. Head had developed the conviction that much of the benefit plants were deriving from South American nitrates was not from the nitrates themselves, but from minute quantities of trace elements, which served as chemical catalysts in the developing plants. His theory contravened prevailing opinion that considered trace elements to be "impurities”. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The need for Trace Minerals by Living Organisms |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Several mineral nutrients taken up from the soil are imperative for a plant's survival. Without them the plant dies. Among these minerals is a group of elements necessary in so small amounts that its members are called trace elements. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The importance of mineral nutrients
for plant nutrition has been pointed out already by
J. v. LIEBIG and KARL SPRENGEL. A.
FR. J. WIEGMANN and A. L. POLSTORFF confirmed their findings in
1842. The question of the nature of the mineral nutrients remained
unanswered since the composition of a plant's ashes does not show
whether a certain element found is actually necessary for the
survival or whether it is merely a roughage. The problem was solved
when the plant physiologist J. v. SACHS
(1832-1897) rediscovered the hydroculture technique (hydroponic). It
allows to compose exactly defined nutrient solutions and to study
the effects of every cation and anion on the growth of the plant.
Earlier experiments of J. WOODWARD (1665-1728) had shown that plant
grow better in water from a river than in rain water and that growth
was promoted after the water had taken up solutes from the soil. The
first useable synthetic nutrient solution was produced by J. v.
SACHS together with the chemist J. A. STÖCKHARDT. It contains 1g KNO3, 0.5g CaSO4, 0.4g MgSO4 x 7 H2O, 0.5g CaHPO4 and a trace of FeCl3 per 1000 ml water. He recognized the importance of iron in experiments with iron-free nutrient solutions. In 1882, he wrote: ".....But after some time when the third or fourth leaf of our experimental plant unfolds, the symptoms of an illness become apparent: the leaves that begin to unfold from now on are completely white and produce no chlorophyll. The microscopic analysis shows that no chlorophyll grains exist in the protoplasm of such colorless leaves. This now is the proof that something was missing in our nutrient mixture; we know from earlier observations by GRIS that the illness of our plant, the so-called chlorosis is caused by the lack of iron.....it is sufficient to add a small amount of a soluble iron salt to the water that the roots take up,....to let the previously completely white leaves become green......This observation proves very obviously that iron is necessary for the production of chlorophyll though it does not show whether the iron is actually a component of the green color itself." These experiments let SACHS understand the importance of the root hairs for the uptake of solute nutrients. At about the same time (1861), J. A. L. W. KNOP developed the nutrient solution still used very often that is called after him: 1g Ca(NO3)2, 0.25g MgSO4 x 7 H2O, 0.25g KH2PO4, 0.25g KNO3 and a trace of FeSO4 per 1000 ml water. The experiments showed that the cations K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and small amounts of Fe2+ or Fe3+, as well as the anions SO42-, H2PO4- (or H3PO4) and NO3- are essential for the growth and survival of the plants. Oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen that are taken up from the air or the water (respiration, photosynthesis) are also imperative. The lack of one of these elements cannot be made up for by the surplus of another, chemically closely related one. Potassium, for example, cannot be replaced by lithium, sodium or rubidium. Atmospheric nitrogen, metallic potassium and elementary sulphur are just as useless. Only the respective ions are necessary. The problem of nitrogen use has been touched by H. HELLRIEGEL and WILFARTH in 1886 at the meeting of natural scientists in Berlin (cited from SACHS 1887 according to a story of the Kölnische Zeitung, 1886): "Buckwheat, rape, mustard, sugar beets, oat and potatoes can take up their complete nitrogen from nitric acid or its compounds. If these plants are fed with nitrogen in the form of ammonia, then they can use it only as far as it is transformed into nitric acid by micro-organisms of the soil. Peas, lupines, seradella, vetches and clover in contrast do not depend on nitrogen bound in the soil but are able to take up nitrogen from the air; they do not use the bound forms but the free nitrogen of the air. These plants live and use the free nitrogen with the help of bacteria that form so-called nodules at their roots." Certain other ions can be taken up by some plants without being used. Halophytes, for example, take up Na+ only because they have a stronger resistance against it than other plants. They have thus opened up an ecological niche for themselves. Silicon (SiO2) is found in the ashes of horsetail and in the shoots of grasses sometimes even in considerable amounts. But it is not essential. Only diatoms and some other algae need it for the production of their shells. Some marine algae (especially brown algae) accumulate iodine but nothing is known about its significance. The average share that the single mineral elements have in the dry weight of plants is: NO3-: 1- 3%, K+: 0.3- 6%, Ca2+: 0.1- 3.5%, HPO42-: 0.05- 1%, Mg2+: 0.05- 0.7%, SO22-: 0.05- 1.5%. When in the 20th century the demands to the purity of chemicals grew, it did become apparent that plants need a number of additional elements, the so-called trace elements for their nutrition. R. D. HOAGLAND (1884- 1949) developed a solution of trace elements he called the A-Z solution, 1 ml of which is added to one of the standard nutrient solutions (for example the nutrient solution of KNOP): 0.5g LiCl, 1g CuSO4 x H2O, 1g ZnSO4, 11g H3BO3, 1g Al2(SO4)3, 0.5g SnCl2 x 2 H2O, 7g MnCl2 x 4 H2O, 1g NiSO4 x 6 H2O, 1g Co(NO3)2 x 6 H2O, 0.5g KI, 1g TiO2, 0.5g KBr in 18 l water. To today's mind, the trace elements boron, copper, manganese, zinc and molybdenum are necessary for the plant's normal nutrition, too. If the other components of HOAGLAND's solution are really - and especially for all plant species - required is unknown. There are hints that certain algae need Co2+ for the synthesis of vitamin B12. The lack of certain elements leads to characteristic symptoms. The deficiency of Fe2+, Mn2+ and molybdenum causes a brightening of the leaves (chlorosis, originating from a loss of chlorophyll). A zinc deficiency induces the stunted growth of leaves, the lack of boron acid leads to heart blight in sugar beets suggesting an effect of boron on meristematic tissues. The significance of the respective mineral components for the plant metabolism can be found in the table below. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the book The Story of Trace Minerals by Dr. Melchior Dikkers the medical researcher wrote: "Years of intensive study had convinced him that trace elements were the key to all living organisms, essential to the structure of certain complex chemical compounds that influence the course of metabolism, a vital factor in the health of every living being." "Metabolism--the sum total of all chemical reactions that proceed in every single cell of the body twenty-four hours of each day--is what keeps us all alive. Some thirty trillion cells are at work, constantly, in each and every human body, twenty million in the human brain alone. In each cell, the process by which foodstuffs are synthesized into complex elements is carried out by enzymes, large proteins which are themselves synthesized by the cells. And it became clear to Dr. Dikkers that trace elements were essential to the creation of these enzymes, to act as catalysts to bring about chemical changes by their mere presence, without themselves undergoing change. It is a phenomenon for which science has no real explanation, but which clearly cannot occur without both the enzymes and the elements taking in and radiating energy to achieve specific effects." "Combinations of trace elements have been found, under certain conditions, to acquire entirely new properties, very different from those of individual elements acting singly. There is a noted interaction among trace elements, such as iron and copper, both of which are concerned with blood formation. In plants, iron and magnesium are associated in chlorophyll formation." "Without chlorophyll there would be no life on earth, the very first green plants being the understood link between the energy of the sun and life on the planet. Only green plants and certain microorganisms are able to absorb the sun's energy, store it, transform it, and then transfer it to man in the form of wheat, corn, vegetables, and fruit. Uncooked and unprocessed food will supply enzymes directly to the blood. Some two thousand different enzymes, every one a protein, are synthesized by every cell from amino acids furnished by the blood, obtained from ingested food, best eaten raw." "The activities of enzymes are extremely susceptible to foods. The mere presence of chemical additives in food may cause some trace elements to become unavailable. The same applies to chemical fertilizers to the soil. They can cause trace elements to become unavailable to plants. Enzyme reactions are influenced by a deficiency of any functional nutrient." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dr. Melchior Dikkers, Professor of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry at Loyola University in Chicago Illinois, felt that malnutrition is the most important problem confronting mankind at the present time. With the integration of manmade agrochemicals into agriculture, the premise was advanced that plants can only absorb nutrients the size of ions. The theory here is that nothing larger than ions are able to cross the cell membrane. With this premise the concept of "cation exchange" became the accepted theory with the "CEC" as the be-all of soil testing. This concept would rule agrichemical farming science for the next 100 years. In the late fifties/early sixties Dr. Dikkers, found that plant cells in reality are able to take in whole molecules. His findings were contrary to the prevailing consensus. Scientists Saatoshi Mori and Naoko Nishizawa from the University of Tokyo, and N.M Stark of the US Forestry Service, along with W. Flaig from the Institute Fur Biochemie in Germany and Dr. Fritz Went of Earhardt Laboratories supported these findings and further found: (1.) Given a choice, plants will intentionally take in organic molecules and not inorganic ions from fertilizers. (2.) Unlike whole molecules, ions have to be chelated by the root’s metabolism before they can go into action and move through the plant. This is an unnecessary energy expense for the root. (3.) Whole molecules of any size and even clusters of molecules can be taken directly into plant cells. (4.) Electron microscope pictures can track the absorption and progress of molecules moving through the cell where as no one has ever seen ions (such as K+) go through the cell membrane. (5.) Mycorrhizals pass on to plants, nutrients they have absorbed directly from leaves not yet completely decomposed. This strongly suggests the passing of whole molecules, since the compounds in the leaves have not been broken down into ions. The process, which occurs when a cell absorbs a molecule, is called Endocytosis and briefly it occurs like this. After the molecules have passed through the cellulose mesh of the cell wall, it settles onto the cell membrane. The membrane engulfs the molecules forming a coated pit and then a coated vessel, which moves into the cell cytoplasm. The vessel then embarks upon its predestined path to unload its cargo of large molecules or particles at predetermine locations. Once unloaded, the vessel picks up matter to be used to build cell walls, membranes, or to be passed on to other cells. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dr. Bargyla Ratheaver, a retired
professor of Botany who has taught at most of the California
Universities spent the last 64 years studying relationships between
plants, soils and nutrients. One such area is the ability and
preference of plants to take up and use whole molecules instead of
ions. Dr. Ratheaver contends the research shows "the process is not
a small, erratic, exceptional, unusual phenomenon. Rather it is one
of nature’s normal ways of circulating whatever cells need from one
to another, from the environment to the cell’s interior metabolism,
or out of it to the environment." Of more concern: applications of
liquid nitrogen fertilizer’s short term negative effects on
microbial activity required a minimum of 5-6 weeks to recover from a
single application. This may leave a crop vulnerable from an
imbalance in 'predator-prey' organisms. High levels of fertilizer
can reduce the symbiotic effectiveness of soil organisms.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
IHW Scientific Director Dr. CB Jacobson, Administrative
Coordinator Dr. Auriel R Combs,
and researcher Kent Brown assess the turf grass project at
Ste. George, UT. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University of California scientists have agreed on the
benefits from humic acids and their derivates. These researchers note: “they
have growth promoting effects, improve trace element nutrition by
providing both nutrients and chelating agents, improve soil moisture
conditions, improve the physical properties of soils, hold
exchangeable plant nutrients thus reducing leaching, have a high
exchange capacity which is critical to soil fertility and improve
the release of plant nutrients through increased microbial
activity”. The literature suggests that the commercial use of humic
acids and Humates are more effective in soils that have less than
two percent organic matter, and in dryer alkaline soils. Tests on
soils with high humus content, and acidic conditions have show much
less to no positive effect. Also, it appears that when applied at a
rate that is too high, nutrients become tied up rather than being
released for plant use. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sources: Dr Nyle C. Brady, The Nature and Properties of Soils 8th edition, Macmillan Publishing Co; Senn, T.L. & Kingman A.R. 1973. A Review of Humus and Humic Acids. Clemson University, Dept of Horticulture # 145. Also see “The formation of humic substances” www.ar.wroc.pl/~weber/powstaw2.htm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Bureau of Mines analyses show the clay-rock deposits are similar to Chilean/Peruvian cliché rocks, where as noted previously, much of the world's nitrate is mined. What makes these unique deposits so special is the conspicuous presence of most of the vital micro and nano-nutrients that dietary scientists only recently are beginning to claim as very necessary for the smooth performance of many the catalytic reactions that the living organism must perform. Biochemists who analyzed the mineral noted with the addition of a couple of key yet common all natural minerals you in effect create an even more efficient catalytic reaction process simply by supplementing these pink clay-rock deposits. Result: you have a product that can address a multitude of varying mineral deficiency situations using all natural agri-technology©. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
One of the studies that researchers at the IIHW/RVU laboratory center are looking at is how some the relationship between certain trace minerals and organic acids can play a pivotal role in the generation of cell energy. By understanding a physiology of the individual test results (gleaned from hair, blood, urine, tissue-and other unique samples) it is felt that this research can among other goals, reveal metabolic distress associated generalized pain and fatigue, which may arise in response to toxic exposure, nutrient imbalances, digestive dysfunction and other causes. Plants synthesize and store energy from sunlight and nutrients. How efficiently the human body recovers this energy from plants or animals that eat plants can have a profound effect on physiological function. To use an all too worn out phrase, “this is exactly what ‘the inquiring minds’ of researchers at IIHW/RVU ‘want to know’. Fundamentally, optimal health and well-being depends on the healthy functioning of the cell. The mitochondria of each cell functions as its energy "factory" also know as the ‘Kreb’s Cycle’. The primary function of the mitochondria is to efficiently produce the energy we require to live vital lives.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Defects of mitochondrial metabolism are associated with a wide spectrum of illness and disease. Medical test’s can reveal metabolic distress that can arise from toxic exposure, nutrient deficiency, intestinal dysbiosis, dysglycemia, oxidative stress, poor diet, and other causes. The profile is particularly relevant for the chronically "unwell" patient. (In this case, IIHW/RVU reseachers are looking at a targeted population -- those with type II diabetes, MS, MD, and teen drug/alcohol addiction), and in the general population, those who may be experiencing multiple chemical sensitivities, fibromyalgia, fatigue, malaise, hypotonia (loss of muscle tone), acid-base imbalance, low exercise tolerance, muscle/joint pain, or headache. With such results, specific nutritional and medical actions can be more effectively geared towards the individual’s specific current condition. Organic acids also play a pivotal role in generating energy for muscle tissue. For this reason, mitochondrial defects are associated with a variety of neuromuscular disorders. Imbalances may also influence cardiac function, glycemic control, and behavior. Moreover, because the mitochondria modulate cell death, their dysfunction is closely linked with the aging process and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS. It is hoped that continued research will result in concrete pro-active life-style alterations and serve as a diagnostic aid for acquired, as opposed to in-born, errors of organic acid metabolism. In the research studies to date each analyte is reported in relation to creatinine levels to ensure normal renal function and representative results. Significantly abnormal findings may be due to inborn errors if they persist after removal of toxics, nutrient supplementation, dietary adjustments, and correction of intestinal dysbiosis or infection. For these cases, further specialized follow-up testing is needed to identify congenital organic acidopathies. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
What Reseachers Hope to Learn |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It is felt these studies will reveal important clinical
information about:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-clinical studies using the base materials found in VITÆ©-MYTE™ exhibit characteristics that certain biochemical reactions are necessary for optimal metabolism in living things. Hence the concept: ‘vital minerals’. When used in animal feed, mixtures of the product are ground to a fine powder (-200 mesh), which allows these silica based mineral grains (just imagine: trace and life essential elemental enriched sand), now small enough, to pass through the cell walls of many non-human organisms to be incorporated as part of the process of ingestion. Some studies have been specifically focused on broiler chickens. The reason: they have a 7 week life span and broilers are smaller and less expensive to grow than larger animals such as goats and cattle. Some scientific work has also been conducted on citrus trees and plants. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Working with the montmorillonite clay was a constant learning experience for Rollin Anderson, one of the first to ‘discover’ and claim some of the deposit sites. "We learned that by applying the minerals directly in contact with the seed or root structure one could get much quicker action. We tried it on lawns, but people complained they had to cut the grass too often. On pasture and perennial crops the best results were obtained by applying about fifteen hundred pounds to the acre. Results were even more noticeable after the second or third year." He waved toward the valley, where fruit trees grew in an orchard. "Trees seem to respond to this dusted clay about as readily as any vegetation, especially fruit trees. One orchard had leaf curl, sluggish growth, poor-quality fruit and many pests were the problem. The montmorillonite clay corrected the conditions within a year. By the end of the third year, none of the conditions existed." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Rollin
paused for us to appreciate the importance of the remark,
then hurried on. "With turkeys we had even greater success.
The additive gave them earlier maturity, greater weight,
stronger legs, and a greater number of prime-grade quality.
Then we found that it was just as good for cattle. A
farmer's cow got loose in the barn, where she found a bucket
of some montmorillonite clay and licked it up as if it were
lush feed. So we spread the word and cattle ranchers
starting mixing it in with feed. One rancher wrote that
since he'd included the ground clay the average gain per
head per day was much higher and the quality of the beef was
greatly improved. Another farmer wrote that seven Holsteins
which had been bred four times artificially failed to settle
until the mineral additive was mixed into their daily feed.
On the fifth breeding, all the cows settled. So we fed it to
hogs, and by market time the runts had caught up to the
others. With sheep we managed to breed culled ewes past
lambing with a ram that was supposed to be infertile; and we
got plenty of lamb twins, plus more wool from the sheep."
(Azomite.com) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A
chemical analysis of the natural mineral deposits shows that it is a
hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) containing other minerals and trace elements
which the National Research Council recognizes to be essential to
the existence and continuation of life. Hence the name: VITÆ©-MYTE™
(vital minerals). HSCAS is listed in the U.S. Code of Federal
Regulations (21 CFR 582.2729) as an anti-caking agent, and is
generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA. In a nutshell the
mixture contains most of the vital minerals necessary for a smooth
running biological machine. Any contaminants are within American
Feed Control Official guidelines. It's "generally recognized as
safe" (GRAS) by FDA for feeds up to 2% by weight. The additive is
also odorless, and insoluble (1%). Current research recommends
300-600 lbs/acre broadcast, or 2 lbs/10 sq. ft in gardens. One of the keenest supporters of the use of this montmorillonite clay is Dr. C. S. Hansen, who attributes the extraordinary powers of trace elements to the microwaves they radiate. He maintains that insects have an innate intelligence that respects a vigorous growing plant, capable of producing seed for reproduction, and will somehow have the sense to avoid it. He said that when this natural trace element material is supplied to a growing plant, he has failed to find any insects present. Insects avoid such treated plants. But when a plant is not vigorous and sound, nature gives insects the job of cleaning it up. "Anything that becomes inferior in quality," says Dr. Hansen, "becomes food for insects, so that only the healthy plants capable of developing seeds for reproduction are left to mature. Imperfection in life has a way of being destroyed if left to the devices of nature." In 2004 in Coeur d’Lene, Idaho, one contract researcher for Rio Verde University began testing a variety of foliar application options. He has succeeded in the most difficult part: getting the insoluble minerals to remain suspended in solution. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In 1999 Undergraduate researcher
Randy Ottgen of Michigan State University did a comparative research
project to study the “Effects of Montmorillonite Clay and
Compost Supplementation as Compared to Sustaineú NPK Plant Food on
Turf Grass”. {editor’s note-one of the mandatory items of
understanding in using any Montmorillonite Clay additive is that it
simply must have NPK augmentation. NPK is virtually absent in the
deposit. As Horticulture 101 teaches us,
Nitrogen-Potassium-Phosphorus are essential growth elements. They
must be part of the total mix.} Here are notes from Mr. Ottgen Research: PREPARATION: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| “Previous studies have shown
trace mineral supplementation improves the germination rate of
various grasses. This study investigated the effect of montmorillonite clay (the trace mineral supplement which is the
basis of Vitae-Myte) compared to a conventional fertilizer,
“Sustaineú NPK Plant Food”. On February 6, 1999, one flat was
divided into two equal compartments. The control side received
topsoil only and the Sustaineú plant at the recommended label
application rate. The treatment side received 2/3 topsoil and 1/3
compost with montmorillonite clay addition at the rate of 1 lb./10
sq. ft. Each side of the flat was sown with an equal weight of PGA
standard fairway grass. The treatment side also received foliar
dusting after all the grass emerged on February 12, 1999. Both sides
of the flat received similar water, light, and heat. Visual
observation of seed germination was monitored and five 1 square inch
plugs from each side of the flat were taken to determine stem counts
on April 3, 1999. RESULTS: The montmorillonite clay and compost treatment side germinated in two days; whereas, the control side with Sustaineú took over a week. Fourteen days after planting, the researcher described the control side as “slight” germination, but the treatment side as “almost total” germination at an even height of four inches. Stem counts from one square inch plugs of the control side averaged 49.8 compared to an average stem count of 152.2 for the montmorillonite clay and compost treatment side as shown in Figure D. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The
treatment side of montmorillonite clay and compost increased the speed of germination
rate by greater than three fold compared to the control topsoil
treatment with Sustaineú plant food. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
In 2003-2004 the International Institute for Health &
Wellness (IIHW) of Provo-Orem, Utah conducted controlled studies on
eight different vegetables to determine rates and access of
incorporation by plants when VITÆ©-MYTE™
was applied to the soil in a highly regulated growing environment.
Those studies conducted at growing sites in Provo, Utah and
Columbus, New Mexico were significant, although preliminary. In
initial tests of plant stems, leaves, soil samples, and ripe fruit,
there was shown to be significant incorporation of virtually all of
the minerals found in VITÆ©-MYTE™.
Soils absent and deprived of the addition of the product showed
virtually no presence of a vast majority of all the trace minerals
found in VITÆ©-MYTE™. As
previously mentioned a total of twenty five samples were analyzed by
the soil science department of New Mexico State University. In every
case the vegetables that had been ‘fed’ VITÆ©-MYTE™
were found to have significant gains in the presence of these
‘absent’ nano-nutrients; nutrients that have long since been
depleted from the growing soils, in America. As one country
gentleman succinctly surmised, “you can’t get out, what ain’t in
thar’”. Medical doctors and scientists know
that patients stricken with the most common chronic diseases rampant
in our society today, (i.e type II diabetes, MS, MD, and even some
types of drug and alcohol addiction), have a common medically
discernable thread running through them. Their shared commonality:
the virtual absence or major deficiency of most trace minerals in
the blood system and body. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Far left to right-Dr. CB Jacobson, IIHW Board of Trustee member Kenn Jensen, researcher Kent Brown, and IIHW Vice Chairman Charles Jacobson (photo by Dr. Combs) meet in the still unfinished conference room of the IIHW-RVU research office in Springville, UT. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
How can VITÆ©-MYTE™ help? Studies in broiler chicken, mycotoxin, citrus, and crops indicating benefits have been done by the University of Wisconsin and others. Cattlemen report faster weight gain, improved feed efficiency, upgraded meat quality, greater disease resistance, and reduced mortality. Dairymen report increased milk, higher butterfat. Poultry producers report enhanced egg fertility and shell quality. Crop farmers report improved growth, health, size. Potatoes report a 19-60% increase in yield; sugar beets are larger, with higher sugar content. Citrus growers report improved recovery from decline, and overall healthier trees. (Davis, NC) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Detecting Mineral Deficiencies-a need for
balanced Plant Nutrition |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dr. Mathers is an assistant professor and
extension specialist in nursery and landscape crops at Ohio State
University, with statewide extension and research responsibilities.
Previously, she had extension responsibilities for seven counties at
Oregon State University North Willamette Research and Extension
Center in Aurora, Ore. She has a bachelor's degree in plant science
from Cornell University, a master's degree in horticulture from the
University of Saskatchewan and holds a doctorate from Michigan State
University. She has served as provincial nursery industry specialist
in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and is a frequent
contributor to nursery publications and speaker at industry
functions. She has been awarded the Oregon Association of
Nurserymen's Distinguished Education Award and Dedication to
Excellence Award. Chemical compounds that are taken up by plants and are required for life are termed nutrients. Sixteen elements are essential for plant growth. To be an essential element, the nutrient element must be either directly involved in the metabolism of the plant or it must be necessary for the plant to complete its life cycle. Nine essential elements required in relatively large amounts by the plant are macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). Seven other essential elements required in small amounts by the plant are micronutrients: iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), copper (Cu) and chlorine (Cl). Nutrient availability to plants is affected more by pH than by any other factor. In high pH soils, ions of aluminum (Al), Fe and Mn precipitate and the availability of these elements decrease. Plants in a high pH soilless medium may express deficiencies of Fe, B, Zn, Mn and Mo. Phosphorus may also become deficient in alkaline conditions as it complexes with Ca to form insoluble calcium phosphates. Deficiencies of most micronutrients can be corrected by adjusting soil pH. However, some deficiencies are not solely nutrient related. Mineral deficiencies Mineral deficiencies induced either by the lack or excess of fertilizer, poor site conditions or other physiological problems can disturb biochemical and physiological processes, resulting in reduced growth in ornamentals. Mineral deficiencies, whether in the greenhouse, nursery or landscape, most likely develop early in the growth cycle. Mild deficiencies often go undetected for many years because their effects are usually chronic rather than catastrophic. Five methods can be used to detect mineral deficiencies. The first method is the use of visual symptoms, such as chlorosis, malformed leaves and dieback of shoots. The second and third methods assess the plant's nutritional status by plant tissue or soil analysis. The fourth method involves conducting biological tests including fertilizer trials to determine the nutritional requirements of specific plants. The fifth method involves conducting an analysis of irrigation water. No one method will be entirely satisfactory and a combination of methods is often necessary. Visual symptoms Leaves and stem and root apices are particularly sensitive to mineral deficiencies. Leaves of mineral-deficient plants tend to be small and pale in color (chlorotic) and sometimes have dead areas at the tips and margins or between the veins. One of the most common symptoms is loss of green color caused by breakdown of or interference with synthesis of chlorophyll, which is commonly caused by a deficiency of N, Fe, Mn or Mg. Sometimes sensitive tissues develop in tufts or rosettes, needles of conifers become fused and other abnormalities in shape and color develop that enable experienced observers to diagnose the cause. Other visible symptoms include dieback of stem tips and twigs, lesions in the bark and excessive gum formation. See Table 1 for some deficiency symptoms that can be used to determine if nutrient deficiencies occur in your plants. Sole reliance on visual symptoms to pinpoint the deficiency has other complications. Some deficiencies can cause reductions in growth before they cause visible symptoms. Sometimes the problem is caused by multiple deficiencies. Detecting a particular deficiency when multiple deficiencies exist is nearly impossible. Other conditions, not related to nutrients, can complicate the use of visual symptoms for diagnosis. For example, deficient soil aeration, water stress, air pollution and an excess of minerals can cause chlorosis. Genetic factors also produce chlorosis, ranging from mottling to albino seedlings. Bacteria and virus infections may cause symptoms that look like the deficiency symptom of a particular nutrient. Overwatering or high soluble salts may induce similar symptoms. Root damage, caused by poor overwintering or overheating in the summer, may be expressed as deficiency symptoms. By combining the results obtained from Table 1 with the data gathered from the other four methods, you should be able to identify deficiencies in most situations. Plant tissue analysis Foliar or leaf analysis is a procedure in which the leaf tissue is analyzed to determine the mineral element content within a plant. Foliar analysis is an important tool for establishing and maintaining a proper nutrition program in woody plants. Foliar analysis should be considered both to diagnose suspected mineral element deficiencies and as a check on the fertilizer program. For woody plants, it is best to sample the leaves only. All leaves taken must be the same age and have the same position on the plant. This usually means the first fully matured leaves back from the tips or the youngest fully matured leaves. Each sample should contain 30-100 leaves or groups of leaflets should be collected from trees, shrubs and broad-leaved evergreens. The size of the sample depends on size of the tree or shrub being sampled. About 50 terminal cuttings, 2 inches long, should be removed from narrow-leafed evergreens from as many different plants as possible with the same condition. In general, leaf samples should be taken between mid-June and mid-September or later with evergreens from plants that represent conditions within the planting. When some plants in an area are growing poorly and others are growing well, take two samples. Both samples must be taken of leaves that are at the same stage of growth. The differences between the two samples may point to the cause of the problem. The analytical laboratory you use will give you specific guidelines for preparation of the sample after you collect it. Follow their guidelines closely and always wash your hands before handling the sample. Often, I encounter growers who discount the value of a growing medium analysis and believe most nutritional problems can be solved and corrected based on a plant tissue analysis only. This approach ignores the influence elemental excesses in the growing media can have on the uptake by the plant of one or more totally different, yet essential, elements. Table 2 contains a list of common antagonists and indicates why tissue and soil analyses should always be conducted together. Neither detection method should stand-alone. Biological tests Biological tests include fertilizer trials in the field and in pots in the greenhouse. These trials are sometimes necessary to learn which elements produce the most improvement in growth. The diversity of crops within ornamental operations is tremendous and sometimes the kind of exact information growers are looking for can only be found by conducting your own trial. Correctly designing an experiment that can answer your questions is vital. There are three categories of experiments or trials: preliminary, demonstrational and critical. Preliminary experiments are carried out with many treatments. They are usually conducted to focus the researcher. The most promising treatments from the preliminary trials are investigated in future critical experiments. Demonstrational trials are probably the most familiar to growers. In nutrition demonstrational trials a new fertilizer may be compared to the standard fertilizer treatment at the nursery. Demonstration trials are not replicated or randomized and do not offer precise information. Many growers make changes in their production systems on the basis of non-replicated, non-randomized, demonstrational trials. Without replication and randomization, however, the grower does not know if the observed effect is due to chance or real. A replicated and randomized comparison of a new product with a standard would yield precise information. Soil analysis Analyses of soils are used widely to determine the kinds and amounts of fertilizer to be added. They also indicate the existence of mineral deficiencies before planting. In field culture, a soil test should be done every year to ensure that the crop will have sufficient nutrients and the correct pH for good growth. Soil tests can be done at any time when the soil is not frozen. The best time is early spring. Early-spring testing will allow you time to correct any nutrient deficiencies before plant growth advances. Use a local private laboratory for the soil analysis. For field culture, it is important to know some soil fertility standards for your nursery crops. Very little information is available on soil fertility standards for specific ornamental plants. See Table 3 for some general standards. As in field culture, to maximize growth and quality of container stock produced, fertilization is extremely important. Essentially all plant health depends on proper nutrition. In container culture, you need to know the relative nutrient levels needed for optimum growth (see Table 4). These are essential if problems in container culture are to be avoided. In container culture it is also important to realize the importance and consequence of various chemical supplements in your media. Most manufactured media for container-grown plants will require some form of chemical supplement to adjust the pH and to augment the available nutrients. A chemical analysis of the medium and its components should be obtained, unless this information is known. Depending upon the mix, analysis results and the length of time that plants are to be grown in the containers, the additional nutrients needed may best be added using slow- or controlled-release fertilizers at the time of planting. A soil analysis has its greatest value when used in conjunction with a foliar analysis. With woody plants, because the root system can be quite large and deep, it is difficult to sample the soil to represent the area where the root system absorbs its nutrients. A poor correlation may exist, therefore, between a soil test and a leaf analysis for a given nutrient. Foliar analyses also do not indicate soil pH, which is key to nutrient availability. For these reasons soil tests should always accompany foliar analysis of plants and be used together to diagnose suspected mineral deficiencies. Media tests should always also accompany foliar analyses of plants grown in containers, because container pH can change rapidly. Diagnosis of almost all nutritional problems experienced in container production is by a growing media analysis at some point. Water analysis The application of water to nursery and greenhouse plants is the most universal treatment, the most important treatment for crop success and the most discounted and neglected. Water quality has a major influence on nursery, greenhouse and landscape plant nutrition, growth and quality. Because the impact of water quality is so significant, it should be the first step taken when designing your fertilizer program and perhaps the first detection method used when nutrient deficiencies are observed. You should have a water test done at least once a year. It may be good to have two water tests done the first time you are investigating your irrigation source. The two tests would be conducted as follows: 1) in the spring, after all the rains; and, 2) in late summer, before the rains begin. The spring test will give you the best synopsis of your irrigation water and the test in late summer your worst scenario. Water-quality tests should also be conducted more than once a season if any of the following conditions apply: 1. It has been an exceptionally dry or wet growing season. 2. It has been a period of abnormally high or low water usage. 3. The irrigation water comes from various sources, including a city or municipal source. When reviewing the results of a water analysis, note excess or minimal levels first, before studying the balance of parameters measured. See Table 5 for some ornamental irrigation water-quality guidelines. The characteristics in set one should definitely be monitored. They are the minimum set of analyses that should be done on a regular basis. Set two characteristics are desirable but not as essential. The thing that I find most helpful when I'm trying to diagnosis a plant problem is keeping an open mind. Don't be swayed by other people's opinions or previous consultants' recommendations. Try to get as complete a picture as you can before making a decision, which may include conducting all five of the detection methods mentioned above and a plant submission to the plant clinic for biotic diagnos. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
HOW DO WE GET TRACE MINERALS IN OUR RAW FOODS A Rutgers University entitled "Variation in Mineral Content in Vegetables" ( abb. Firman E. Bear report). In this study, the non-organic vegetables were bought at a standard supermarket and compared with organic vegetables grown in naturally-fertilized soil. SNAP BEANS *(1) Result of one test |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
CONCLUSION: Commercially grown, non-organic vegetables are very low in
mineral and trace mineral content. ======================================================================== |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PLEASE NOTE: The study listed above DID NOT investigate organic versus commercial produce. Somebody misprinted the tables and for years it has circulated as fact. Too bad, because it clouds an otherwise good study done by Rutgers researchers. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Soil Science Society of America, examined the mineral composition of vegetables grown on different soil types. Dr. Firman Bear and his colleagues found that vegetables grown in heavy soils in the Ohio Valley had a greater mineral content than produce grown on sandy Coastal Plain soils near the East Coast. These results are important because they show that soil type—and probably soil organic matter content--affect the mineral composition of foods grown on them. There are many environmental and cultural factors that influence the nutritional composition of produce, and these may ultimately play a greater role in food quality than simple organic versus conventional logic. Environmental conditions likely to affect food quality include geographical area, soil type, soil moisture, soil health (humus content, fertility, microbial activity, etc.), weather and climatic conditions (temperature, rainfall, flooding, drought), and pollution. Cultural practices likely to affect food quality include humus management techniques such as green manuring and composting, variety, seed source, length of growing season, irrigation, fertilization, cultivation, and post-harvest handling (especially temperature and relative humidity). The article by Sharon Hornick, "Factors Affecting the Nutritional Quality of Crops," provides a comprehensive review of these factors. This paper was published in a special issue of The American Journal of Alternative Agriculture containing the proceedings of a Conference on the Assessment and Monitoring of Soil Quality. On the other hand, there are actually quite a number of studies that "have" shown significant differences between the nutritional quality of organic and conventionally raised foods. It is not simply folklore as suggested in an earlier thread. Many of the studies favor organic, but of course there are others which show no differences. However, just because some farmer produces food according to certified organic guidelines does not mean that this food will be superior however, and the reasons are due to all the factors in the above paragraphs. That is why a refractometer and other qualitative methods of measurement are good indicators. Paper chromatography is perhaps a better indicator than atomic absorption spectophotometry for food quality. Fractionation of proteins and vitamins etc., to visually observe content and balance rather than elemental concentration as sole indicator. The recent research by Dr. Phil Callahan on paramagnetism may also prove to be a factor. From this it can be seen that organic has advantages for the humus factor and biological activity. On the other, natural rock powders derived from paramagnetic origin may be critical to establish a weak charge. The magnetism created thus influences mineral uptake and plant health. The PCSM Meter is available for anybody to see for themselves differences in depleted soils and healthy soils. Originally developed for the mining industry at $6,000, it is now available to farmers thru Pike Lab Supplies for $400. Ultimately, how people "feel" after eating food is what counts. Health conscious yoga practitioners who are in tune with their bodies self-select natural and organic foods and this fact has merit comparable to a dozen scientific studies. Food quality is defined more broadly by the Soil Association in England. They adopted standards developed at the University of Kassel and the Elm Farm Research Centre, two European research institutes actively conducting organic farming systems research. Six criteria--Sensual, Authenticity, Functional, Nutritional, Biological, and Ethical--make up this new holistic approach. Food Quality: Concepts & Methodology is the proceedings of an international colloquium organized by the Elm Farm Research Centre and the University of Kassel. It is a 64-page book published in 1992. It is available for about $20.00. Contact: Elm Farm Research Centre Hamstead Marshall Near Newbury Berkshire RG15 OHR Great Britain The Ecological Agriculture Project at MacDonald College of McGill University in Canada has published several informative reports and bibliographies on this topic. Titles include "Soil Conditions and Food Quality", "Soil Fertility and the Nutritional Quality of Food," and "Comparison of Food Quality of Organically Versus Conventionally Grown Plant Foods." Contact: Ecological Agriculture Project Box 191, MacDonald College 21,111 Lakeshore Ste-Anne De Bellevue, Quebec Canada H9X 1CO QUESTION: “Is there a difference between organic and conventional produce?” It is a central issue in our modern food production system. . .the relationship between farming systems and the health of people and livestock. References: Bear, Firman E. 1948. Variations in mineral composition of vegetables. Soil Science Society Proceedings Vol. 13. p. 380-384. Hornick, Sharon B. 1992. Factors affecting the nutritional quality of crops. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7, No. 1-2. p. 63-68. Further Reading: Beddoe, A.F. 1992. Nourishment Home Grown. Agro-Bio Systems, Grass Valley, CA. 299 p. Peavy, William S., and Warren Peary. 1993. Super Nutrition Gardening. Avery Publishing Co., Garden City, NY. 236 p. Velimirov, A. et al. 1992. The influence of biologically and conventionally cultivated food on the fertility of rats. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 8. p. 325-337. Plochberger, K. 1989. Feeding experiments. A criterion for quality estimation of biologically and conventionally produced foods. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. Vol. 27. p. 419-428. Knorr, Dietrich. 1982. Use of a circular chromatographic method for the distinction of collard plants grown under different fertilizing conditions. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 1. p. 29-38. Anon. 1988. The value of organic food. The Living Earth. July-September. p. 16-17. Anon. 1992. Towards a new definition of food quality. NOFA-NY News. January/February. p. 3 & 6. Feenstra, Gail. 1992. Vitamin and mineral contents of carrot and celeriac grown under mineral or organic fertilization. Components. Vol. 3, No. 1. p. 9-10. Review of Leclerc, J., et al. 1991. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture, Vol. 7. p. 339-348. Hood, Sam. 1993. Exhausted soil produces exhausted people. Acres, U.S.A. June. p. 30 & 39. Hornick, Sharon B. 1992. Factors affecting the nutritional quality of crops. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7, No. 1-2. p. 63-68. Kenton, Leslie. 1988. Eat organic, and live well. The Secrets of Ecological Agriculture. The Living Earth. July-September. p.17-18. Knorr, Dietrich, and Hartmut Vogtmann. 1983. Quality of and quality determination of ecologically grown foods. p. 352-381. In: Knorr, Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing Co., Westport, CT. Lairon, D., et al. 1986. Effects of organic and mineral fertilizations on the contents of vegetables in minerals, vitamin , and nitrates. p. 249-260. In: The Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of Diminishing Resources. Proceedings of the 5th IFOAM International Scientific Conference at the University of Kassel (Germany). Lampkin, Nicolas. 1990. Organic Farming. Farming Press, Ipswich, United Kingdom. p. 557-573, and 608-610. Ausebel, Kenny. 1994. Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure. HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA. 232 p. Clancy, Katherine L. 1986. The role of sustainable agriculture in improving the safety and quality of the food supply. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture. Winter. p. 11-18. Comis, Don. 1989. Nitrogen overload may shrivel vitamin content. Agricultural Research. July. p. 10-11. Eggert, F. P. 1983. Effect of soil management practices on yield and foliar nutrient concentration of dry beans, carrots, and tomatoes. p. 247-259. In: Lockeretz, W. (ed.) Environmentally Sound Agriculture. Praeger Scientific, NY. Fischer, Ada, and C.H. Richter. 1986. Influence of organic and mineral fertilizers on yield and quality of potatoes. p. 236-248. In: The Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of Diminishing Resources. Proceedings of the 5th IFOAM Conference at the University of Kassel (Germany). Howard, Sir Albert. 1947. The Soil and Health. The Devin-Adair Co., New York. p. 307 Knorr, Dietrich. 1982. Natural and organic foods: definitions, quality, and problems. Cereal Foods World. Vol. 27, No. 4. p. 163-168. Maga, Joseph A. 1983. Organically grown foods. p. 305-349. In: Knorr, Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing Co., Westport, CT. McSheelhy, T.W. 1977. Nutritive value of wheat grown under organic and chemical systems of farming. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 27. p. 113-123. Schupman, W. 1975. Yield maximisation versus biological value. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 24. p. 281-310. Shier, N. W., et. al. 1984. A comparison of crude protein, moisture, ash and crop yield between organic and conventionally grown wheat. Nutrition Reports International. Vol. 30, No. 1. p. 71-77. Nourishment Home Grown by Dr. A.F. Beddoe is based on the notion that a decline in American's health is due to poor food quality which, in turn, is due to poor soil conditions. Beddoe promotes biological farming methods based on the theories of Dr. Carey Reams to raise foods with a "higher nutrient density." Beddoe's book is available through Agro-Bio Systems in Grass Valley, California for about $20.00. Contact: Agro-Bio Systems P.O. Box 1250 Grass Valley, CA 95945 Super Nutrition Gardening by Dr. William S. Peavy and Warren Peary lists numerous references to scientific and U.S.D.A. literature that support the relation of food nutrition to the condition of soils. Following sections on food nutrition, the remainder of the book focuses on organic gardening techniques, and in particular, an outline of a seven-step program for restoring soil fertility. Peavy and Peary's book is available for about $14.95 through: Avery Publishing Group 120 Old Broadway Garden City Park, NY 11040 A simple instrument commonly used in the produce industry that is gaining wider use among alternative farmers is the refractometer. It measures soluble solids and sugars of sap squeezed from fruits or vegetables on a scale known as degrees brix. A higher brix reading usually correlates to better taste and higher mineral content. An alternative approach to measuring food quality is the use of novel methods of qualitative analysis. These methods are reviewed by Lampkin in Organic Farming. These include (a) image-forming techniques such as certain types of chromatography and water-droplet patterns, (b) physical-chemical techniques such as counting photon emissions from samples of food and measuring electrical conductivity and other electro-chemical properties of food, and (c) microbiological and biochemical techniques. Chromatography Applied to Quality Testing is a 44-page handbook by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer on the paper chromatography method. Included are laboratory standards for preparation and extractions of samples. This method can be used to assess the quality of produce, grains, compost, and soil humus. To order, contact: Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Inc. P.O. Box 550 Kimberton, PA 19442 (215) 935-7797 According to literature from the Elm Farm Research Centre in England, "the employment of these novel methods is an attempt to identify a characteristic of food other than the currently measurable components such as nutrients, vitamins, and residues. This characteristic, which could be called "vitality", is thought by some to be important to the health of all living organisms and can be passed on through the food chain." The concept of "vital energy" is not very common to Western science. However, in the Orient, this vital or subtle energy is widely recognized and known as "prana" or "chi." At least two schools of alternative agriculture recognize such energy and try to enhance this life energy on the farm. As an example, some of the farmers that follow fertility management guidelines established by Dr. Carey Reams use electrical scanners, or radionics instruments, to measure the "general vitality" of soil, plant, and animal samples. In turn, radionics instruments are then used to formulate feed and fertilizer programs. Biodynamic agriculture is based on the premise that subtle energy forces affect the health of crops and livestock, and many biodynamic practices are aimed at enhancing this natural energy. In addition, certified biodynamic produce--marketed under the Demeter label--is promoted as food of high quality. If we take out all the minerals but only replace NPK why wouldn't mineral levels go down? Also, what if the only factor in selecting new varieties is yield with no regard for quality? Short of erosion or run-off, minerals would remain, it's just that the plant uptake might have changed. Or put another way, the minerals may be more readily available when the soil is healthy and alive but we have created "dead soil" through the use of chemicals. Potash contains Potassium Chloride, a salt, and that chloride ion "kills" the soil and (beneficial nematodes, mycelia cease to grow). Please NOTE however, “Study after study has shown no significant or consistent difference between organic produce and conventional counterparts.” There are a couple of possible major conclusions from those 20+ years of organic versus conventional studies. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We need significant and consistent numbers to the contrary. . .i.e., | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simply not using
synthetic pesticides and artificial fertilizers does NOT make someone a
good farmer, and it certainly doesn't guarantee that their crops will be
of better nutrient quality than those of a conventional grower. There are
some superb organic farmers out there---better farmers than 95% of all
conventional growers. My point is that they are *also* better than 95% of
all *organic* growers, too. GOOD growers produce mineral-rich food. There are good growers, mediocre growers, and lousy growers, and whether they are certified organic or not has little (if any) bearing on which category they fall into. The only measurable difference noted between organic and conventional vegetables was that organic had more dry matter. Keep in mind that analytical methods change over time, and small changes in method can affect results. Methods today are easier and more accurate than in the 40's. Making comparisons across large expanses of time or space is always unreliable. For example, just letting the vegetables wilt before testing would increase mineral content by weight (by reducing water content). Studies that use a local control (more-or-less side-by-side production) are far more reliable. US Government Printing Office 401 South State Street Chicago, IL or call 312-353-5133 This publication has several areas of analysis. Proximate Minerals - 9 listed Vitamins -9 listed Lipids profile - saturated mon and poly from 4:0 to 22:6 individually Amino acids The Sanet archives contain a number of reports relating to the nutritional quality of organic foods. In addition to references previously listed, here are three more sources: 1. "The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients and Trace Elements" by Paul Bergner (1997, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA) includes USDA figures that show a decline in mineral and vitamin content of several fruits and vegetables between 1914, 1963, and 1992. Table 1 is a summary of mineral decreases in fruits and vegetables over a 30-year period, adapted from Bergner's book. Table 1. Average changes in the mineral content of some fruits and vegetables*, 1963-1992 Mineral Average % Change |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Fruits and vegetables measured: oranges, apples, bananas, carrots, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, celery, romaine lettuce, broccoli, iceberg lettuce, collard greens, and chard 2. In England, Anne Marie-Mayer compared food composition over a 50-year period using data from the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). Her study, "Historical Changes in the Mineral Content of Fruits and Vegetables" was presented at the Agricultural Production and Nutrition conference held at Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy on March 19-21, 1997. Table 2, adapted from Marie-Mayer's paper, summarizes the average ratio of nutrient content and dry matter of 20 vegetables and 20 fruits. A ratio of 0.81 for Ca, for example, means that over an approximately 50-year period the average content of calcium in vegetables has declined to 81% of the original level. Table 2. Average ratio of mineral content and dry matter (new/old) for vegetables and 20 fruits* |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The symbol * indicates a statistical difference 3. In 1997 an extensive literature review was published: "A comparison of organically and conventionally grown foods -- results of a review of the relevant literature" by Katrin Woese, Dirk Lange, Christian Boess, and Klaus Werner Bogl. 1997. J. Sci. Food Agric. Vol. 74, 281-293. The authors are with: Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine, Division 2, Chemistry and Technology of Foods and Commodities, PO Box 330013, D-14191, Berlin, Germany. The review summarizes and evaluates the results of more than 150 investigations (published between 1926 and 1994) comparing the quality of conventionally and organically produced food, or of foods produced by different fertilization systems. This article does a good job of addressing the parameters used to evaluate differences item by item. One passage worth noting: "Only the more or less correlative results of the feed selection tests permit a general conclusion: animals distinguish between the foods on offer from the various agricultural systems and almost exclusively prefer organic produce." As an aside, this is what Dr. William Albrecht emphasized in his work as a soil scientist at the University of Missouri; i.e., animal feeding trials to ascertain the true quality of feedstuffs, writing: "cows are capable chemists" "as a chemist by experience and survival, not by academic training, the cow led the nomad over fertile soils" "we need to start observing and judging the cow as she is a chemist on the hoof guiding her own nutrition" Other findings: *Lower nitrates in organically produced or fertilized vegetables. *Lower pesticide residues in organic fruit and vegetables *Higher dry matter content in organic products *Feed experiments showed animal’s preferentially selected organic produce, but where fertility parameters and rearing performance were determined the results were contradictory. The issue of differences in nutritional quality between organically and conventionally managed crops is a distraction. . .the real issue is "what are the factors that impact the nutritional quality of food plants". The Soil Quality issue Volume 7 (1&2) of the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture included an article by Sharon Hornick titled "Factors effecting Nutritional Quality of Plants". This article is a good foundation for starting to think about the impact of inherent soil properties (e.g. texture, clay mineralogy), variable soil properties (e.g. organic matter content) and crop/soil management practices (e.g. fertilization, tillage...) on crop nutritional quality. A more recent article in the same journal Volume 12 (2) titled "Suppression of VAM fungi and micronutrient uptake by low-level P fertilization in long-term wheat rotations" by Clapperton, M. J., Janzen, H.H. and A.M. Johnston provides a clear example of how modification of soil ecology associated from P fertilization can reduce the micronutrient content of wheat. Another interesting article is "Enrichment of some B-vitamins in plants with applications of organic fertilizers" by A. Mozofar in Plant and Soil Volume 167 pages 305-311. The biotic and abiotic factors that impact crop nutritional quality are at work in both organic and conventional systems. . .rather than distracting ourselves with largely meaningless monolithic comparisons. . .lets focus on the mechanisms/factors that either promote or impede a plant's expression of its genetic potential for nutritional quality. Joel Gruver Center for Agriculture, Food and Environment Tufts University The 14-page ATTRA's resource list titled "Alternative Soil Testing Laboratories" has just been revised (December 1999) and is now available in print. The updated web version will be on-line in January of 2005. Also there are plenty of soil labs -- using a variety of approaches and philosophies -- that can provide soil-test specific information to help farmers improve soil health and crop nutritional quality. Monitoring the crop in the field with on-site instruments, and following that with agronomic and horticultural adjustments to improve the nutritional and energetic status of the crop is the other part of the equation. In the list of Soil Test Supplies, Instruments, and Equipment section below -- lifted from Alternative Soil Testing Laboratories -- see the Vitamin C test strip from EM Science. Test strips are also available for nitrates. These can be done as on-site tests at the farm, at the farm stand, or at the farmers market. One of the better on-site tests you can perform as an indicator of taste is degrees Brix, using a refractometer. The refractometer is a precision optical instrument used in the food industry. The higher the Brix, the greater the soluble solids and sugars present in the sap of fruits and vegetables. On one of the California farms, they raised Brix readings on Japanese melons from 8 to 16. This is a dramatic taste improvement. This was done with supplemental foliar feeding (Brix Mix from Peaceful Valley Supply) in addition to soil amendments. In Wisconsin, the ginseng growers initiated a quality improvement program to increase active herbal ingredients. This was done through soil testing, soil fertilizer programming, and foliar feeding. Soil Test Supplies - Instruments - Equipment Gempler's 100 Countryside Drive PO Box 270 Belleville, WI 53508 800-382-8473 608-424-1544 608-424-1661 Fax [Gempler's Master Catalog] http://www.gemplers.com Gempler's IPM Almanac] http://www.ipmalmanac.com Gempler's carries a full line of soil testing equipment and IPM supplies, including pH meters, Cardy meters, electrical conductivity meters, soil test kits, and soil probes. Of special interest is the Professional Soil Quality Test Kit ($485), which provides indicators of biological, physical, and chemical soil conditions. This is the test kit promoted by USDA-NRCS, also known as the USDA Soil Health Test Kit. It was developed in the early 1990's by Dr. John Doran, a USDA soil scientist, in collaboration with the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania. The test kit is accompanied by the USDA Soil Management Manual (Item No. RGM97) which describes testing procedures for: pH, nitrates, salinity (EC), soil compaction, soil moisture, soil biological activity (respiration), soil texture, water infiltration, bulk density, earthworms, and waster quality. The manual sells individually for $9.95. Hach Co. P.O. Box 389 Loveland, CO 80539-0389 800-227-4224 970-669-3050 970-669-2932 Fax csays@hach.com http://www.hach.com Hach Co. manufactures portable soil and water quality monitoring instruments: pH meters, electrical conductivity, percent base saturation, and colorimeter meters. LaMotte Co. P.O. Box 329 Chestertown, MD 21620 800-344-3100 410-778-3100 410-778-6394 Fax lamotteese@aol.com http://www.lamotte.com The LaMotte STH Soil Test Kit features the Morgan Universal Soil Extraction Solution, the solution used in the Reams Test, to measure plant available nutrients. The Kit includes a colorimetric Humus Screening Test. LaMotte carries a complete line of soil & water quality monitoring instruments. Pike Lab Supplies RR 2, Box 710 Strong, ME 04983 207-684-5131 207-684-5133 Fax Contact: Bob Pike pike@somtel.com http://kiosk.maine.com/pals/ Extensive selection of on-farm testing supplies: refractometers, paramagnetic soil meter, electrical conductivity, soil test kits, compost test kits, Cardy meters. Pike Lab Supplies also carries a wide selection of books on eco-farming. Spectrum Technologies, Inc. 23839 W. Andrew Rd. Plainfield Illinois 60544 800-248-8873 815-436-4440 815-436-4460 Fax specmeters@aol.com http://www.specmeters.com/index.htm Spectrum Technologies manufacturers a number of portable soil and water quality monitoring instruments: pH, electrical conductivity, nutrient test strips, Cardy meters, colorimeter meter. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Quick-Tests to Monitor
Plant N & K Status and |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Quick-tests" are rapid, in-field diagnostic procedures that are used to monitor plant nutrient levels during the growing season. They do not supply any information that cannot be obtained through standard plant tissue testing methods, but they are less expensive than laboratory methods and eliminate the delay that occurs between the time a sample is collected and the laboratory results are available. This can be critically important when a grower suspects a nutrient deficiency in his crop, or is preparing to make a side dress fertilizer application and wants to know what rate is required. Plant nutrient levels can change quickly, especially during rapid growth phases. When a fertilizer decision is made a grower wants to know the condition of his crop today, not what it was last week. Quick-tests are relatively simple to use, give immediate results, and are particularly suited for making timely adjustments in fertilizer application rates when using fertigation. They are designed as grower-used crop management tools and are a supplement, not a replacement, for a standard soil testing and nutrient management program. The quick-test procedures that are available are not as precise as laboratory analyses, but they are reasonably accurate and sufficiently precise to distinguish between adequate and deficient plant nutrient levels. In other words, they are accurate enough to be used on a practical basis as a decision-making tool. Collecting samples and performing analyses does take time and there also are some monetary costs involved. As part of an intensive crop management system, however, quick-tests can pay for themselves by increasing the efficiency of fertilizer use. Yield or quality may be improved by more closely matching nutrient rates and timing with plant needs, the cost of unnecessary fertilizer application can be eliminated, and the potential for environmental harm from leaching or runoff of excess fertilizer is reduced. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Available Types of Tests |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Quick-test equipment and procedures are available for nitrogen (N) and potassium (K), although N monitoring is the most common. Tests that measure nutrient concentrations in plant sap squeezed from petioles are used for both N and K. There are two types of methods for petiole-sap analyses: a) Battery-operated meters with ion-selective electrodes, and b) Reagent test strips that change color in response to N or K concentration. Both the electrode and colorimetric methods measure N in the nitrate (NO3-N) form. A portable, hand-held meter that measures light absorbance by chlorophyll in leaves is also available. This technique gives an indirect measure of leaf- N concentration. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Advantages/Disadvantages
of Different Methods and Equipment |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ion-selective
electrodes: Nitrate-N and K electrodes marketed for sap testing are
available from two sources: 1) Horiba Co., Japan, available in the U.S.
through Spectrum Technologies, Plainfield, IL, and 2) Hach Co., Loveland,
CO. The Horiba/Cardy meters are probably the most popular type of
sap-testing equipment in use today, because of their simple operation and
relatively modest cost (about $300 per meter, separate meters are required
for N and K). They have flat sensors that require a small volume of
sample, have a wide response range that makes sap dilution unnecessary,
and give a direct readout of concentration. The Hach nitrate electrode is
part of a larger soil, water, and plant testing kit (AgriTrak Portable
Laboratory). It is more expensive than the Cardy, and the technique is
more involved since it requires mixing with aluminum sulfate and plotting
a calibration curve, but some research has found it to be more accurate
than the Cardy. Hach also has K electrodes, and portable meters that do
give direct concentration readings, that are suitable for sap testing.
Although Hach electrodes may give measurements that are closer to
laboratory methods, Cardy meters do give reproducible results that are
highly correlated with laboratory methods and data from them have been
used to develop useful guidelines and recommendations. Colorimetric test strips: Colorimetric test strips for nitrate (Quant Strips, E.M. Science, Cherry Hill, NJ) were one of the first quick-test techniques to be widely studied and encouraged for grower adoption. The greatest advantage of test strips is that they require little initial investment and the cost of an analysis is the cost of a strip (about 40-cents). Reagent pads are covered with sap and after two minutes the color change is compared to color charts to determine sap concentration. Color charts give concentration ranges, so test strips are only semi-quantitative. For most crops, especially early in the season, sap nitrates are higher than the range of the strips. The sap can either be diluted, or the time in seconds is recorded until maximum color development is reached, and then the concentration can be estimated from equations or calibration curves that have been developed. The greatest disadvantage of test strips is that matching colors is subjective and can vary from person-to-person. There is a reflectometer (Nitracheck) that has been successfully used to overcome this. In addition to nitrates, there are colorimetric test strips for K that may be suitable for sap testing (e.g. Baker Teststrips, J.T. Baker, Phillipsburg, NJ; Quantofix strips, Machery-Nagel, Duren, Germany), but research with K strips on plant sap has been limited. Chlorophyll meters: SPAD meters (Minolta Corp., Ramsey, NJ) measure light transmittance through leaves and use the light absorbing properties of chlorophyll to compute a relative index value for leaf chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll and N are usually well correlated, so this is a promising method of monitoring plant N needs. SPAD meters are accurate, sensitive, simple to use, and require no chemical reagents or sample collection and preparation. You can walk through a field, measure individual leaves in just a couple of seconds, and compute the average of a series of leaves with the push of a button. The greatest drawback to this method is that, in addition to N-content, the "greenness" or chlorophyll content of a leaf is affected by factors such as crop variety, environmental conditions, and plant growth stage, so the values cannot be compared to absolute standards of N sufficiency. A solution to this problem may be to have a well-fertilized area in each field that can serve as a "local" standard of adequate N nutrition. This complicates the procedure and adds some work, but it could also be advantageous to calibrate against an in-field reference that reflects local environmental conditions and your system of cultural practices. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Figures 1, 2, and 3 show the results from a pepper experiment that used a Horiba/Cardy nitrate electrode and a SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter to track plant N status. The experiment compared two methods of N-application: the "Preplant" treatment received 105-lb N/A, all of it preplant; the "Fertigation" treatment also received 105-lb N/A, with 35-lb/A preplant and the other 70-lb/A applied through drip irrigation at intervals during the growing season. Except for early in the growing season, both petiole-sap NO3-N (Fig. 1) and leaf chlorophyll (Fig. 2) were higher in the fertigation treatment. Differences in sap NO3-N were especially distinct. However, these differences did not increase marketable fruit yield (Fig. 3). In fact, the 100% preplant treatment actually yielded more. Comparison of petiole-sap NO3-N with guidelines for peppers from both California and Florida indicates that the 100% preplant treatment was deficient in N through much of the growing season, while the fertigated treatment actually had excessive NO3-N levels. Differences in plant dry matter (Fig. 3), suggest that the higher N levels with fertigation stimulated vegetative growth at the expense of fruiting. These data also suggest that adequate petiole-N levels, and perhaps higher yields, are possible with fertigation at reduced N-fertilizer rates compared to 100% preplant fertilizer applications. A complete discussion of this research is available in the bulletin "1995 Horticulture Results" from the OSU Piketon Center. End of Report. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EM Science Regional and National Distributors 856-423-6300 800-222-0342 856-423-4389 Fax http://www.emscience.com EM Science manufacturers test strips for pH, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, phosphorus, calcium, and vitamin C. The reflectoquant meter is used in combination with test strips for a rapid and accurate determination of results. ================================================== Some organic vegetables DO have more minerals and a better profile of minerals--most notably biodynamically grown ones. There is quite a lot of variation, however. One of the measures of mineral content, the brix reading made with a refractometer, is usually thought of as a measure of plant sugars, but there is a correlation between minerals and plant sugars that works like this. A plant builds up higher levels of plant sugars when it has enough calcium and other minerals in its cell walls to block the radiation of infrared energy that plants commonly undergo at night. It is common knowledge that sugars build up as a result of photosynthesis, but it is less commonly known that they may convert these sugars back into radiation and give it off at night if they don't have sufficient mineral content to shield this radiation from escaping. Calcium is the most important mineral here, but since such things as boron are essential for calcium uptake and utilization by plants they are important too. What can markedly INCREASE a plant's loss of infrared radiation is nitrogen salts such as ammonia, nitrates, urea, etc. There are huge variations in brix measurements and mineral content between different growers and some chemical growers do a good job here and some organic growers don't. What a lot of people DON'T know is there can be huge differences in the organizational forces present in the growing medium and that this can have a large effect on the quality of what is grown. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Consider this.
The ether, an almost mystical concept which is the insubstantial
organizational force that permeates substance and is especially rich in
organisms and organic forms in general (Reich called this "orgone" energy)
parallels the states of matter that in an earlier age were called the
elements--fire, air, water and earth. As each state of matter becomes more
condensed the ether associated with it becomes more intensified. Thus in
the radiant, fire state we have warmth as the organizing principle. In the
gaseous, air state we have light. In the liquid, water state we have sound
or harmonious/dissonant associations of molecules that we know as
chemistry. Lastly in the solid, earth state we have the most intense
condition of the ether which is known in BD circles as the life ether.
Hydroponics grows plants in a solution of water loaded with various
soluble chemicals, but this does not provide the most organizational
forces. Steiner's second agricultural lecture points out these solid state
organizational, etheric forces are most intense in the crystallizing
period (in the northern hemisphere) in mid winter when they are received
in the siliceous rocks of the earth and transmitted to plants by way of
clay. The only way to get these forces in our food is to grow it in soil
rather than hydroponic tanks. Thus I don't know of any attempts to pass
off hydroponically grown food as biodynamic. There just isn't any way it
measures up. So it wouldn't make any difference if it was cheap and
efficient, it grows watery food that simply doesn't have that much life
force. It is insights like this that set biodynamics apart from the rest
of the organic movement, which simply doesn't know much about this sort of
thing. A s we have poisoned the earth and eroded its topsoils we have diminished the vitality of our soils, the atmosphere, rainfall and the earth as a whole. There simply isn't as much natural life force available as there used to be either for chemical or organic growers. Unless the grower is doing something to replenish the life (organizational) forces in his growing environment the produce will be lower in minerals, sugars, complex amino acids (complete protein rather than so-called crude protein) and so forth. When there is enough water available this produces watery vegetables, but this condition is also reflected by greater incidence of drought, especially when the atmospheric life forces related to fruiting and ripening are deadened by pollution. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Nutritional Quality of
Organically Grown Food |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas -- ATTRA Fayetteville, Arkansas Farmers often ask ATTRA for data on the nutritional quality of organic food (grains, fruits, vegetables) in comparison to conventionally raised food. This publication summarizes some of the facts and viewpoints surrounding this issue, and provides resources for further reading. “Healthy soils equal’s healthy food equals healthy people” is a fundamental tenet of many ecological farming systems. Yet, the nutritional quality of food grown by organic and conventional methods is the subject of much controversy. Organic advocates claim organically grown foods are nutritionally superior because such foods contain higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. On the other hand, the mainstream scientific community disputes these claims, arguing instead that nutritional differences do not exist. “Plants can’t tell the difference between organic and chemical fertilizers” is an oft quoted statement in support of this latter viewpoint. An examination of the literature reveals that quite a few studies have been published on this topic. A selection of references is listed in the further reading sections below. In short, the data on the nutritional quality of organic produce in comparison to conventional produce are inconclusive. Some research reports point to statistical differences, while other studies do not. Dr. Joan Gussow, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Education at Columbia Teachers College, conducted an extensive review of this topic. In an assessment of the varied scientific research conducted to date, she concludes: “Lacking such careful studies, there is enough cumulative evidence to indicate—to those who wish to be convinced—that organic foods have a variety of qualities that should over the long term make them more healthful—including lower levels of pesticide residue, lower levels of nitrate-nitrogen, greater density, better flavor if they are properly handled, etc. But the available studies are conflicting enough to convince anyone who isn’t a fan of organic, that any differences that can be demonstrated are not worth writing home about, and are certainly not a reason to promote organic food.” (1). At the end of her article “Is Organic Food More Nutritious?” she prods the organic industry to move beyond harping on a few nutritional differences when organic production provides so many other benefits worth promoting: conserves natural resources, solves rather than creates environmental problems, and reduces the pollution of air, water, soil, and food. A panel of food safety and nutrition experts associated with the Institute of Food Technologists came to the following conclusion in a study titled “Organically Grown Foods:” “A justification for the purchase of organically grown food cannot be made on the basis of any superiority in nutrition, taste, or freedom from pesticides. Advantages have been identified, however, with the practice of organic farming. Advantages cited include agronomic and environmental benefits. The future of the organically grown foods market more appropriately depends on the viability of the organic farming system as an alternative agricultural practice which offers effective solutions to the detrimental effects on the environment and nonsustaining aspects of conventional farming practices (2). Greg and Pat Williams, editors of the HortIdeas newsletter, came to the following conclusion back in 1987, when they reviewed yet another inconclusive research study. They wrote: “Again, these results are in accord with other “organic vs. conventional” vegetable trials that we have seen, and that have prompted us to argue for an “organic” approach to gardening on the basis of environmental considerations rather than some dubious “miraculous” nutritional properties of the “organic” produce. [But we’re always open to new information on the fertilizer/nutrition connection.”] (3). Ten years later, in 1997, they reviewed 12 more research papers on this topic in an article titled “Organic vs. Conventional Growing Methods, Revisited” (4). Most of the studies were “about the same” with respect to nutritional factors and yield. In Components, the technical newsletter from UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC-SAREP) at the University of California, Gail Feenstra reviewed a European study on vitamin and mineral content of carrot and celeriac grown under mineral or organic fertilization. Though the researchers reported significant nutritional differences between organic and commercial fertilizer treatments, Feenstra raised a number of questions regarding experimental protocol. One of her questions deals with the concept of early-stage organic transition versus long-term organic conversion, “This time factor could affect the soil quality and potentially, the nutritional quality of the vegetables.” Further, she concludes: “Finally, despite the interest this type of study attracts, it is important to bear in mind that the differences between organic and conventional produce must be considered within a broad context. Although consistent differences in specific nutrients may eventually be found, their contribution to overall health is questionable, given North Americans’ and Europeans’ access to food. Choosing organically grown produce for its contribution to the long-term health of the soil and our capacity to produce food sustainably may ultimately be more important than its contribution to individual nutritional health” (5). David Leonard, an agro-nutritionist from Arizona, says that eating habits play a larger role in health than the organic vs. conventional food production paradigm. His views—excerpts from a post on the Sustainable Agriculture Network’s Internet discussion group— are summarized below (6): “I think that organic agriculture may miss an ideal opportunity to maximize its potential impact on American’s health and sustainable wellness unless it broadens its mission beyond environmental friendliness and the production of nutritious food (whether or not that food is actually nutritionally superior). The agriculture-nutrition-wellness connection involves more than farming, especially these days when nutritious food leaving the farm gate is less likely than ever to translate into healthy eating. Some reasons: 1. Modern food processing adds fat (usually unhealthy hydrogenated oils), sugar, and salt to many products and often markedly reduces the fiber content and vitamin/mineral content of cereal grains. 2. It’s harder than ever to know how to select healthy foods, given the mind-boggling array of supermarket food choices and the proliferation of low-fat, fake-fat, artificially sweetened, or vitamin-fortified “techno-foods.” 3. The public is understandably confused about nutrition. Just look at any bookstore’s collection of diet books to get a consensus opinion on how to eat well. 4. We’ve become a food-obsessed society and now eat over 200 calories a day more than in 1978. About 45% of the typical U.S. family’s food budget is now spent at restaurants (usually fast food) vs. 25% in 1950. 5. America’s major nutritional legacy (and, indeed our federal dietary guidelines until the 1992 introduction of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid) stems from traditional Anglo-Germanic eating patterns favoring a high-fat, low-fiber diet where meat and dairy products play a central role. Numerous diet/disease studies worldwide have correlated this eating style with a much higher rate of chronic degenerative diseases (heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc.) than in the case of plant-centered diets. One study that’s often mentioned in the organic vs. conventional debate is the Firman E. Bear report. This report DID NOT look at the nutritional differences between organic and conventionally raised produce, though the popular press has incorrectly portrayed it in this manner for many years. The study, published in a 1948 edition of Proceedings of the Soil Science Society of America (7), examined the mineral composition of vegetables grown in different regions and on different soil types. Part of the more recent confusion may stem from the way the results were presented; i.e., organic and inorganic soil types rather than organic and conventional production methods. Dr. Bear and his colleagues found that vegetables grown on heavy soils in the Ohio Valley had a greater mineral content than produce grown on sandy Coastal Plain soils near the East Coast. Interestingly, fertilizer rates on farms in the coastal-plain states were much higher in contrast to fertilizer rates used on farms in east north-central states. Clover sods and manures were more prevalent in the east north-central region. These results are important in themselves because they show that soil type (and quite likely differences in clay mineralogy, soil organic matter, and biological soil activity) affect the mineral composition of foods grown on them. In general, they found that trace element and mineral content increases from south to north, and from east to west. Overall, mineral composition is affected by geography, climate, and fertilizing practices. A full-text version of the infamous "Firman Bear Report" can be found online at the Rutgers University website: Variation in Mineral Composition of Vegetables Firman E. Bear, Stephen J. Toth, and Arthur L. Prince http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/bearreport/index.html Reprinted from Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 1948, Volume 13. pp. 380-4, The Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, 1949. There are many environmental and cultural factors that influence the nutritional composition of produce, and these may ultimately play a greater role in food quality than simple organic versus conventional logic. Environmental conditions likely to affect food quality include geographical area, soil type, soil moisture, soil health (humus content, fertility, microbial activity, etc.), weather and climatic conditions (temperature, rainfall, flooding, drought), and pollution. Cultural practices likely to affect food quality include humus management techniques such as green manuring and composting, variety, seed source, length of growing season, irrigation, fertilization, cultivation, and post harvest handling (especially temperature and relative humidity). For a comprehensive review of the topic, see Sharon Hornick’s article "Factors Affecting the Nutritional Quality of Crops." Her paper was published in a special issue of The American Journal of Alternative Agriculture containing the Proceedings of a Conference on the Assessment and Monitoring of Soil Quality (8). Having summarized some of the viewpoints underlying the debate as well as identifying the many factors affecting food quality, let us now turn our attention to some of the noteworthy ideas, practices, and publications from the sustainable farming and holistic health movements that address the link between farming method, soil quality, and food quality in general. A common thread in alternative agriculture and health literature is declining food quality in the industrialized food production system. As early as the 1930s, writers saw a link between nutrient-depleted soils and increased health problems (9-10). The alarming fact is that foods -- fruits and vegetables and grains – are now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain needed minerals, are starving us, no matter how much of them we eat. -U.S. Senate Document 264, 1936. The Acres, U.S.A articles “Exhausted Soil Produces Exhausted People,” by Sam Hood (June 1993, p. 30 & 39) and “The Argument for 'Expensive Urine'“ by Joel Wallach (November 1993, p. 24) provide examples from the alternative press that depleted soils result in increased health problems (11). In addition, Hood suggests that soil fungi play a vital role in plant nutrition, that the fungi actively stimulate synthesis of amino acids, proteins, and other plant nutritive factors in addition to their well-known symbiotic benefits such as assimilation of water and nutrients, especially phosphorus. While it is common knowledge that soil microorganisms influence plant nutrition by virtue of their role in decomposition and mineralization of organic matter, the view that microorganisms stimulate plant metabolism and enhance plant nutrition is certainly more holistic in nature than the quantitative-mechanical view that soil microbes merely breakdown organic matter and release mineral ions into the soil solution. In this, there is an interesting correlation to research associated with bioponics. Bioponics is a new kind of hydroponic plant production system. The term bioponics means "life working," which differs from hydroponics which means "water working." Dr. Luther Thomas has published a series of articles on the emerging technology of bioponics in The Growing Edge magazine. Thomas is a marine biologist who discovered bioponics while working with sea plants. He found that a number of sea plants would not grow in artificial sea water. They only grew when he inoculated the solution with a few drops of sea water. Thomas figured out that “the missing ingredient was not a nutrient or trace element; it was the living element, or the microorganisms present in the ocean, that enabled the plants to grow normally”. In bioponics, marine algae adapted to fresh water conditions are introduced into a hydroponic medium. The microbes help stabilize pH and fix nitrogen. These microbes also produce enzymes which stimulate plant biochemical processes. Plant traits subsequently affected include such things as flavor and appearance of vegetables. Metabolites produced by the microbes -- such as gibberellins, auxins, and vitamins -- enhance plant growth. From: Hydroponic Vegetable Production Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, 1995 A few of the alternative health books that address demineralization of soils and declining health include Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures (17) by Dr. Joel Wallach and Empty Harvest (18) by Dr. Bernard Jensen. An audio tape by Wallach, Dead Doctors Don’t Lie, discusses the importance of minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients in reversing disease and ensuring good health and longevity, accompanied with the promotion of “colloidal minerals” as dietary supplements (19). . . .all animals get their food directly or indirectly from plants, and all plants get their food from the soil. Therefore, mineral-deficient soil may be one of the greatest original sources of disease in the world today. According to D. W. Cavanaugh, M.D., of Cornell University, "There is only one major disease and that is malnutrition. All ailments and afflictions to which we may fall heir are directly traceable to this major disease." Simply stated, food crops grown on depleted soil produce malnourished bodies, and disease preys on malnourished bodies. – Empty Harvest, 1990. The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients and Trace Elements (20) by Paul Bergner includes USDA figures that show a decline in mineral and vitamin content of several fruits and vegetables between 1914, 1963, and 1992. Table 1 is a summary of mineral decreases in fruits and vegetables over a 30-year period, adapted from Bergner’s book. Table 1. Average changes in the mineral content of some fruits and vegetables†, 1963-1992 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† Fruits and vegetables measured: oranges, apples, bananas, carrots, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, celery, romaine lettuce, broccoli, iceberg lettuce, collard greens, and chard Paul Bergner's “The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients and Trace Elements” from Prima Publishing is one of the better popular press health books on the importance and function of minerals in food. Bergner is the clinic director of the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies, and editor of Clinical Nutrition Update and Medical Herbalism newsletters. The list price is $15 through: Prima Publishing P.O. Box 1260BK Rocklin, CA 95677 916-632-4400 http://www.primapublishing.com In England, Anne Marie-Mayer compared food composition over a 50-year period using data from the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). Her study (21), “Historical Changes in the Mineral Content of Fruits and Vegetables” was presented at the Agricultural Production and Nutrition conference held at Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy on March 19-21, 1997. Table 2, adapted from Marie-Mayer’s paper, summarizes the average ratio of nutrient content and dry matter of 20 vegetables and 20 fruits. A ratio of 0.81 for Ca, for example, means that over an approximately 50-year period the average content of calcium in vegetables has declined to 81% of the original level. Table 2. Average ratio of mineral content and dry matter (new/old) for vegetables and 20 fruits† |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† The symbol † indicates a statistical difference Two agriculture books that provide an introduction to the concept of nutrient-depleted foods, as well as fertility programs to remineralize soils, are reviewed below. Nourishment Home Grown (22) by Dr. A.F. Beddoe follows the notion that a decline in American health is due to demineralized soil conditions. Beddoe promotes fertilizer practices based on the theories of the late Dr. Carey Reams to raise foods with a higher nutrient density. One of Carey Reams contributions to alternative agriculture was the Biological Theory of Ionization, which says that “All disease is the result of a mineral deficiency or loss of mineral energy, whether plant, animal, or human.” Beddoe's book is available through Pike Lab Supplies in Strong, Maine for about $20.00. Contact: Pike Lab Supplies RR 2, Box 710 Strong, ME 04983 207-684-5131 207-684-5133 Fax Contact: Bob Pike info@pikeagri.com http://www.pikeagri.com Super Nutrition Gardening (23) by Dr. William S. Peavy and Warren Peary lists numerous references to scientific and USDA literature that support the relation of food nutrition to the condition of soils. Following sections on food nutrition, the remainder of the book focuses on organic gardening techniques. In particular, the authors outline of a seven-step program for restoring soil fertility. Peavy and Peary's book is available for about $14.95 through: Avery Publishing Group 120 Old Broadway Garden City Park, NY 11040 Remineralize the Earth—RE, Inc.— is a non-profit organization that promotes the regeneration of soils and forests with finely ground gravel dust as an economically and ecologically sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In the 1980s and 90s, RE, Inc. published a quarterly journal, Remineralize the Earth. Back issues are an excellent way to learn about farming practices associated with rock dusts, scientific research, and resource listings of supplies and publications. Though it discontinued its print journal, RE, Inc maintains a website with articles from past journal issues, research reports, and an electronic forum on soil remineralization. RE, Inc. plans to develop an online magazine, a monthly digital newsletter, and a research database. Joanne Campe, the editor, has compiled extensive resource packets containing research and practitioner-based information on the use of rock dusts in agriculture and forestry. Packets include: Soil Remineralization: Agriculture, 146 pages. $17.00 Soil Remineralization: Forestry and Sewage Treatment, 82 pages. $12.00 Complete Set for both Agriculture & Forestry/Sewage Sludge. $25.00 For further information, contact: Remineralize the Earth 152 South Street Northampton, MA 01060-4021 413-586-4429 Contact: Joanne Campe Email: ReminEarth@aol.com http://www.Remineralize-the-Earth.org In addition to standard methods of analysis—such as comparative taste tests or quantitative analysis of mineral content—some researchers have examined food quality by observing the effects of feeding biologically - versus - conventionally-grown feeds on animals (24-26). The refractometer, a precision optical instrument commonly used in the produce industry, is gaining wider usage among organic farmers and crop advisors. It measures soluble solids and sugars in sap squeezed from fruits or vegetables, and reports the results on a scale known as Brix°. A higher Brix reading usually correlates to better taste, and in some instances, higher mineral content. Alternative farmers and crop advisors are monitoring crops with refractometers to understand how soil amendments and practices such as humates, rock dusts, and foliar feeding affect Brix readings. Darkfield microscopy, a specialized illumination technique used in light microscopy, is gaining increased usage by holistic health practitioners in the study of nutritional supplements and dietary changes and how they affect live blood samples from patients. By studying changes in cellular structure and blood flora, technicians can discern patterns which are associated with healthy blood and those recognized as indicators of disease or poor nutrition. When asked if darkfield microscopy can be used to detect links between soil health and food quality, one laboratory worker (26) said, “For a clear division between organic and commercially grown fruits and vegetable this technique [darkfield microscopy] is very, very revealing.” Further information— articles, photos, training materials— on the darkfield technqiue can be found at the Nu-Life Sciences (see Dr. Michael Coyle) web site in California (27) and at the Center for Somatidian Orthobiogy (see Dr. Gaston Naessens) web site in Quebec, Canada (28). An alternative approach to measuring food quality is the use of novel methods of qualitative analysis. These methods are reviewed by Lampkin in Organic Farming (29). These include (a) image-forming techniques such as certain types of copper-chloride crystallization and chromatography, (b) physical-chemical techniques such as counting photon emissions from samples of food and measuring electrical conductivity and other electro-chemical properties of food, and (c) microbiological and biochemical techniques. Regarding the photon emission method, Lampkin writes: “Of particular interest is the technique of counting photon emissions. Every living organism emits biophotons or low-level luminescence (light with a wavelength between 200 and 800 nanometers). This light energy is thought to be stored in the DNA during photosynthesis and is transmitted continuously by the cell. It is thought that the higher the level of light energy a cell emits, the greater its vitality and the potential for the transfer of that energy to the individual which consumes it. Significant differences have been found in favor of organically produced food (Figures 15.6 and 15.7), but differences also occur with respect to location, freshness and stage of maturity (ripeness)” (p. 571-572). Of these methods, the copper crystallization and paper chromatography techniques seem to be gaining wider recognition. For example, see Knorr and Vogtmann’s article titled “Quality and Quality Determination of Ecologically Grown Foods” in Sustainable Food Systems (30), or consult Dietrich Knorr’s paper on chromatography in Biological Agriculture and Horticulture (31). According to literature from the Elm Farm Research Centre in England (32), "the employment of these novel methods is an attempt to identify a characteristic of food other than the currently measurable components such as nutrients, vitamins, and residues. This characteristic, which could be called ‘vitality’, is thought by some to be important to the health of all living organisms and can be passed on through the food chain." The concept of “vital energy” doesn’t have much history in Western science. In the Orient, however, where it is known variously as “prana” or “chi”, bioenergetic healing systems are centuries old. The concept is integral to naturopathic health traditions such as ayurveda, yoga, tantra, acupuncture, QiGong, and tai chi. Likewise, bioenergy is an important feature of several alternative farming systems. Three examples follow: Farmers and crop advisors who follow the fertility management guidelines established by Dr. Carey Reams use electronic scanners, or radionic instruments, to measure the "general vitality" of soil, plant, and animal samples. In turn, radionic instruments are used to formulate feed and fertilizer programs with the intention of enhancing the vitality readings and health of farm animals or crops. For more information on Reams or radionics, request the ATTRA publications titled Albrecht/Reams Biological Fertility Systems and Radionics in Agriculture. The second alternative farming system, biodynamic agriculture, is unique in that it purports to increase cosmic and terrestrial forces in nature through the use of biodynamic preparations and herbal sprays which, in turn, enrich the farm, its products, and its inhabitants with life energy. Products marketed under Demeter® label — the certified biodynamic label first used in 1928 — are promoted as an enlivened, high quality food source within this context. Founded by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s, biodynamic farming was formed under the premise that a decline in feed and food quality on German farms paralleled the introduction of commercial fertilizers. Humus management practices such as forage-based crop rotations, integration of crops and livestock, green manuring, composting, cover cropping, and microbial inoculation play an especially important role on biodynamic farms. For an overview on this topic, see ATTRA's: Biodynamic Farming & Compost Preparation http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/biodynamic.html A unique contribution of the biodynamic movement has been the development and popularization of two qualitative tests: paper chromatography and sensitive crystallization. Chromatography Applied to Quality Testing is 44-page booklet by Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer on the paper chromatography method. Pfeiffer made extensive use of the chroma test in his research at the Pfeiffer Foundation in Spring Valley, New York. Included are laboratory standards for preparation and extractions of samples. The book contains color plates and descriptive entries for chroma tests performed on different samples of soil, compost, and grain. It lists for $8 through Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association (BDFGA) in San Francisco, California . Sensitive Crystallization: A Demonstration of Formative Forces in the Blood is a 59-page booklet by Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer developed the sensitive crystallization technique in the early 1930s. In 1939 he was awarded an honorary M.D. from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia in recognition of his research on the early diagnosis of cancer using this method. The sensitive crystallization technique can also be used in the analysis of plants, produce, grain, and fodder. It lists for $16 through BFDGA. Contact: Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Inc Building 1002B, Thoreau Center, The Presidio P.O. Box 29135 San Francisco, CA 94129-0135 415-561-7797 415-561-7796 Fax biodynamic@aol.com http://www.biodynamics.com The third alternative farming system with a special focus on food quality is Nature Farming. In both organizations that promote Nature Farming — Kyusei Nature Farming and MOA Nature Farming — the production of healthy nutritious foods is a central goal. Healthy foods grown on healthy soils are understood to play an underlying role in human health; and further, such foods contain an important life force separate from its mineral or chemical constituents. In the Kyusei Nature Farming branch, Effective Microorganisms® are used to inoculate composts, green manures, irrigation water, and other organic soil amendments to manipulate the microbial soil environment and enhance soil health and food quality. For an overview on this topic, see: Nature Farming and Effective Microorganisms http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/Nature-Farm-EM.html Food quality is defined more broadly by the Soil Association in England. It adopted standards developed at the University of Kassel and the Elm Farm Research Centre, two European research institutes actively conducting organic farming systems research. Six criteria — Sensual, Authenticity, Functional, Nutritional, Biological, and Ethical — make up this new holistic approach. Six Aspects of Food Quality: Sensual: how good it feels to eat. Taste, smell, texture, look, feel; that wonderful blend of sensations when you bite into a freshly picked apple. Authenticity: the food which consumers expect. Food which has not been synthesized or adulterated in production, processing or storage. Bread where the browness is real, not an added ingredient to white bread. Functional: how appropriate food is to its specific purpose. For example, the way different varieties of potatoes are more or less suitable for boiling, baking, roasting or frying. Nutritional: how it contributes to a balanced diet. Recognizing individual food’s value by the vitamins, protein or trace elements present. Biological: how it interacts with the body’s functioning. Allergic reactions to additives, the effects of agri-chemical residues; beneficial role of live yoghurt on the gut flora, etc. Ethical: environmental, social and political values. How food production treats animals, the environment, and the people producing the food. Resources: Agricultural Production and Nutrition is the proceedings of an international conference organized by the Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, held March 1997. The 214-page book contains twenty-one papers. Enclosed for your information is an announcement regarding the proceedings, which contains a list of paper titles. It is available for $18 with pre-payment or $21 if billed (checks payable to “Trustees of Tufts College”) from: Agriculture and Nutrition Conference School of Nutrition Science and Policy Tufts University Medford, MA 02155 Food Quality: Concepts & Methodology is the proceedings of an international colloquium organized by the Elm Farm Research Centre and the University of Kassel. It is a 64-page book published in 1992. It is available for 10 pounds in English currency (about $20.00). Contact: Elm Farm Research Centre Hamstead Marshall Near Newbury Berkshire RG20 OHR, Great Britain Tel: 01488 658298 Fax: 01488 658503 education@efrc.com http://www.efrc.com Especially See: EFRC Education Pack: Food Quality http://www.efrc.com/education/student2.htm Resource packet with printed material containing EFRC information sheets and briefing notes. "Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens" -- Consumer's Perceptions on Organic Food Quality? By Lawrence Woodward and Angelika Meier-Ploeger. Presented at the IFOAM Conference, Mar Del Plata, Argentina, November 1998. http://www.efrc.com/research/rorawok.doc 8-page article available as document download The Ecological Agriculture Project at MacDonald College of McGill University in Canada has published several informative reports and bibliographies on this topic. Titles include: Soil Conditions and Food Quality Soil Fertility and the Nutritional Quality of Food Comparison of Food Quality of Organically Versus Conventionally Grown Plant Foods Agriculture, Ecology, and Over consumption Soil, Food, Health and Values Nutritional Characteristics of Organic, Freshly Stone-Ground Sourdough & Conventional Breads To order these reports, or to view them online, contact: Ecological Agriculture Project Box 191, MacDonald College 21,111 Lakeshore Ste-Anne De Bellevue, Quebec Canada H9X 1CO http://www.eap.mcgill.ca Organically Produced Foods: Nutritive Content is a 21-page bibliography compiled by Mary Gold at the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library. It consists of about 216 literature citations that specifically focus on the nutritive value of organically produced foods, including vitamin and mineral content, as well as related chemical constituents. It is located on the web at: Organically Produced Foods: Nutritive Content Special Reference Briefs Series no. SRB 2000-03 Compiled by: Mary V. Gold Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb0003.htm BrixTalk@egroups.com is an electronic forum that focuses on food quality, using refractometers to ascertain Brix as an indicator of taste. Here it may be useful to restate that Brix is the scale that measures soluble solids and sugars in sap squeezed from fruits and vegetables. BrixTalk promotes the use of hand held refractometers by farmers and gardeners and consumers to ascertain on-the-spot Brix readings as an indicator of good tasting fruits and vegetables. An underlying assumption is that produce measuring high Brix will also have higher levels of minerals and amino acids. BrixTalk draws heavily on the fertility management philosophy of Dr. Carey Reams and modern day crop advisors like Dr. Dan Skow and Dr. Arden Anderson. Carey Reams advocated soil- and foliar-applied fertilization schemes to increase the energy in the soil, to increase pest resistance, and to increase soluble solids in foods that result in a high Brix reading. To subscribe, go to: http://www.egroups.com/invite/BrixTalk Web Links at Worldsite Crossroads, Home of BrixTalk http://www.crossroads.ws/ Using a Refractometer to Test the Quality of Fruits & Vegetables By Rex Harrill http://www.crossroads.ws/brixbook/BBook.htm Using a Refractometer to Test the Quality of Fruits & Vegetables is a 42-page online booklet by Rex Harrill that provides a historical glimpse into Dr. Carey Reams research on Brix=Quality, charts that are used as indicators of Poor, Average, Good, and Excellent quality, instrumentation, etc. Brix=Quality: Don't Believe What You've Been Told About Food! http://www.crossroads.ws/brix/index.htm Senate Document 264 Text of Dr. Charles Northern's testimony on mineral depletion of foods http://www.crossroads.ws/brix/index-page5.html How to Grow Superb Biological Produce Above & Beyond Ordinary Chemical OR Organic Agriculture http://www.crossroads.ws/CRActive/PikeAg.htm Organic Produce in the Broader Context of Ecological Farming: Here, it may be helpful to make a rather important distinction between ecological farming systems and organic agriculture in general, and certified organic production in particular. Organic agriculture may be viewed in much the same way as sustainable agriculture; i.e., a large umbrella under which many different methods of production, products, and philosophies exist. The goal — permanent culture, deep organics, farming systems designed to take advantage of inherent ecosystem integrity, farms which exist on current and non-polluting resources, etc. — may be viewed as a continuum that encompasses a broad spectrum of agricultural concepts and practices that strive towards ecological health rather than one pre-determined production system set in stone for all time. On the other hand, certified organic production is somewhat arbitrary. It is a market-based arrangement in which farmers certify to consumers that their farm products have followed an approved set of guidelines set forth by an organic certification agency. Such guidelines assume the production of pesticide-free or otherwise healthy products because they are based on a list of approved versus restricted fertilizers and pest control products. However, the classification of these products — whether they are of “natural” or “synthetic” origin — is arbitrary. That is, a farmer may be certified if he or she meets the specified guidelines. The assumption is that an organic farm will by necessity follow good husbandry practices such as humus management and mineral supplementation that result in good quality foods, but that is not always or necessarily the situation, especially on early-transition organic farms. In summary, it should be clear that certification of an organic farm alone will not result in an automatic difference in nutritional composition of foods. Rather, as Sharon Hornick’s article pointed out, there are many factors that influence food quality. Secondly, in a discussion of “organic versus conventional” production as it relates to food nutrition, one should not lose sight of the many farms and alternative farming systems that follow the principles of organic agriculture, but do not follow certified organic production practices per se. Some of these farms — for example those following the Reams fertility management system — make selective use of commercial fertilizers with a goal of mineral-dense nutritious foods. There are many instances where these ecologically-oriented farms produce foods of superior nutritional quality than their certified organic counterparts. Finally, there is good reason to understand how organic agricultural practices in general are right on track towards providing the necessary soil conditions that promote foods with good, and sometimes even superior, nutritional qualities. It should be clear from the novel qualitative tests and concepts outlined herein, that alternative agriculture has made significant contributions to non-traditional concepts and practices relating to soil health and food quality References: 1) Gussow, Joan Dye. 1996. Is organic food more nutritious? OFRF Information Bulletin. Fall, Number 3. p. 1 and 10. 2) Newesome, Rosetta. 1990. Organically grown foods. Food Technology. December. p. 123-130. 3) Williams, Greg and Pat (ed.) 1987. “Organic” vs conventionally fertilized tomatoes. HortIdeas. April. p. 40-41. 4) Williams, Greg and Pat (ed.) 1997. Organic vs. conventional growing methods, revisited. HortIdeas. May. p. 49-50. 5) Feenstra, Gail. 1992. Vitamin and mineral contents of carrot and celeriac grown under mineral or organic fertilization. Components. Vol. 3, No. 1. p. 9-10. [Review of Leclerc, J., et al. 1991. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 7. p. 339-348.] 6) David Leonard. December 11, 1996. “Re: Quality of Organic Foods” on the sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu listserv 7) Bear, Firman E. 1948. Variations in mineral composition of vegetables. Soil Sci. Soc. Proc. Vol. 13. p. 380-384. 8) Hornick, Sharon B. 1992. Factors affecting the nutritional quality of crops. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7, No. 1-2. p. 63-68. 9) U.S. Senate. 1936. Modern Miracle Men, Article by Rex Beach Relating to Proper Food Mineral Balances by Charles Northen. 74th Congress, 2nd Session, Serial Set 10016. U.S. Gov’t Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 10) Price, Weston A. 1938. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT. 11) Acres USA P.O. Box 91299 Austin, Texas 78709-1299 512-892-4400 512-892-4448 Fax info@acresusa.com http://www.acresusa.com 12) Thomas, Luther. 1990. Bioponics: the application of organic gardening to hydroponics. The Growing Edge Spring. p. 40-43. 13) Thomas, Luther. 1991. Bioponics, part two. The Growing Edge. Winter. p. 37-40, 42-43, 65. 14) Thomas, Luther. 1991. Bioponics, part three. The Growing Edge. Spring. p. 40-43, 61. 15) Thomas, Luther. 1991. Bioponics, part four. The Growing Edge. Summer. p. 35-40, 59. 16) Thomas, Luther. 1993. Bioponics, part five: Enzymes for hereditary potential. The Growing Edge. Winter. p. 36-38, 41. 17) Wallach, Joel D. 1986. Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures. Double Happiness Publishing, Bonita, CA. 496. 18) Jensen, Bernard, and Mark Anderson. 1990. Empty Harvest: Understanding the Link Between Our Food, Our Immunity, and Our Planet. Avery Pub. Group, Garden City Park, N.Y. 188 p. 19) Wallach, Joel D. 1996. Dead Doctors Don't Lie. Direct Marketing Service, New York. 60 minute cassette. 20) Bergner, Paul. 1997. The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients, and Trace Elements. Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA. 312 p. 21) Mayer, Anne-Marie. 1997. Historical changes in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables. p. 69-77. In: William Lockeretz (ed.) Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21, Boston, MA. 22) Beddoe, A.F. 1992. Nourishment Home Grown. Agro-Bio Systems, Grass Valley, CA. 299 p. 23) Peavy, William S., and Warren Peary. 1993. Super Nutrition Gardening. Avery Publishing Co., Garden City, NY. 236 p. 24) Velimirov, A. et al. 1992. The influence of biologically and conventionally cultivated food on the fertility of rats. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 8. p. 325-337. 25) Plochberger, K. 1989. Feeding experiments. A criterion for quality estimation of biologically and conventionally produced foods. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. Vol. 27. p. 419-428. 26) Acharya Viijaksarananda, Microvita Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 1997. Personal communication 27) Nu-Life Sciences (Dr. Michael Coyle) web site: http://www.nulifesciences.com 28) Center for Somatidian Orthobiology (Dr. Gaston Naessens) web site http://www.cose.com/hp01imga.htm 29) Lampkin, Nicolas. 1990. Organic Farming. Farming Press, Ipswich, United Kingdom. p. 557-573, and 608-610. 30) Knorr, Dietrich, and Hartmut Vogtmann. 1983. Quality and quality determination of ecologically grown foods. p. 352-381. In: Knorr, Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing Co., Westport, CT. 31) Knorr, Dietrich. 1982. Use of a circular chromatographic method for the distinction of collard plants grown under different fertilizing conditions. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 1. p. 29-38. 32) Woodward, Lawrence. 1993. The nutritional quality of organic food. Elm Farm Research Bulletin. Number 5, January. p. 5-6. Further Reading: Ausebel, Kenny. 1994. Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure. HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA. 232 p. Balfour, Lady Eve. 1975. The Living Soil and the Haughley Experiment, 2nd Edition. Faber and Faber, London. 383 p. Basker, D. 1992. Comparison of taste quality between organically and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7, No. 3. p. 129-136. Brandt, C.S. and K.C. Beeson. 1951. Influence of organic fertilization on certain nutritive constituents of crops. Soil Science. Vol. 71. p. 449-454. Clancy, Katherine L. 1986. The role of sustainable agriculture in improving the safety and quality of the food supply. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture. Winter. p. 11-18. Comis, Don. 1989. Nitrogen overload may shrivel vitamin content. Agricultural Research. July. p. 10-11. DeEll, J.R. and R.K. Prange. 1992. Postharvest quality and sensory attributes of organically and conventionally grown apples. HortScience. Vol. 27, No. 10. p. 1096-1099. DeEll, J.R. and R.K. Prange. 1993. Postharvest physiological disorders, diseases and mineral concentrations of organically and conventionally grown McIntosh and Cortland apples. Can. J. Plant Sci. Rev. Can. Phtytotech. Vol. 73, No. 1. p. 223-230. Dloughy, J. 1977. The quality of plant products under conventional and bio-dynamic management. Bio-Dynamics. No. 124. p. 28-32. Eggert, F. P. 1983. Effect of soil management practices on yield and foliar nutrient concentration of dry beans, carrots, and tomatoes. p. 247-259. In: Lockeretz, W. (ed.) Environmentally Sound Agriculture. Praeger Scientific, NY. Feenstra, Gail. 1992. Vitamin and mineral contents of carrot and celeriac grown under mineral or organic fertilization. Components. Vol. 3, No. 1. p. 9-10. [Review of Leclerc, J., et al. 1991. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 7. p. 339-348.] Fischer, Ada, and C.H. Richter. 1986. Influence of organic and mineral fertilizers on yield and quality of potatoes. p. 236-248. In: The Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of Diminishing Resources. Proceedings of the 5th IFOAM Conference at the University of Kassel (Germany). Granstedt, Artur, and Lars Kjellenberg. 1997. Long-term field experiment in Sweden: Effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil fertility and crop quality. p. 79-90. In: William Lockeretz (ed.) Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21, Boston, MA. Gussow, Joan Dye. 1996. Is organic food more nutritious? And is that the right question? NOFA-NJ Organic News. Summer. p. 1, 5. Hanson, H. 1981. Comparison of chemical composition and taste of biodynamically and conventionally grown vegetables. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 30. p. 203-211. Hornick, Sharon B. 1992. Factors affecting the nutritional quality of crops. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7, No. 1-2. p. 63-68. Howard, Sir Albert. 1947. The Soil and Health. The Devin-Adair Co., New York. 307 p. Kenton, Leslie. 1988. Eat organic, and live well. The Secrets of Ecological Agriculture. The Living Earth. July-September. p. 17-18. Knorr, D. 1981. Feasability of a circular paper chromatography method for protein determination. Nutrition and Health. Vol. 1. p. 14-19. Knorr, Dietrich. 1982. Natural and organic foods: definitions, quality, and problems. Cereal Foods World. Vol. 27, No. 4. p. 163-168. Knorr, Dietrich, and Hartmut Vogtmann. 1983. Quality of and quality determination of ecologically grown foods. p. 352-381. In: Knorr, Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing Co., Westport, CT. Koepf, H. and Selawry. 1963a. Application of the diagnostic crystallization method for the investigation of quality of food and fodder. II. Bio-Dynamics. No. 65. p. 1-12. Koepf, H. and Selawry. 1963b. Application of the diagnostic crystallization method for the investigation of quality of food and fodder. III. Bio-Dynamics. No. 67. p. 1-12. Lairon, D., et al. 1984. Effect of organic and mineral nitrogen fertilization on yield and nutritive value of butterhead lettuce. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 34. p. 97-108. Lairon, D., et al. 1986. Effects of organic and mineral fertilizations on the contents of vegetables in minerals, vitamin C, and nitrates. p. 249-260. In: The Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of Diminishing Resources. Proceedings of the 5th IFOAM International Scientific Conference at the University of Kassel (Germany). Linder, M.C. 1973. A review of the evidence for food quality differences in relation to fertilization of the soil with organic and mineral fertilizers. Bio-Dynamics. No. 107. p. 1-12. Mader, P., et al. 1993. Effect of three farming systems (bio-dynamic, bio-organic, conventional) on yield and quality of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. var. esculenta L.) in a seven year crop rotation. Acta Horticulturae. Vol. 339. p. 11-31. Maga, J.A., F.D. Moore, and N. Shima. 1976. Yield, nitrate level and sensory properties of spinach as influenced by organic and mineral nitrogen fertilizer levels. J. Sci. Food Agric. Vol. 27. p. 10-9-114. Maga, Joseph A. 1983. Organically grown foods. p. 305-349. In: Knorr, Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing Co., Westport, CT. McSheehy, T.W. 1975. Reproductive performance of rabbits on organic and inorganic leys. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 25, No. 2. p.193-203. McSheehy, T.W. 1977. Nutritive value of wheat grown under organic and chemical systems of farming. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 27. p. 113-123. Mozafer, Ahmad. 1993. Plant Vitamins: Agronomic, Physiological, and Nutritional Aspects. Chapter 5. Plant's Nutritional Status and Vitamin Content. p. 157-237. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 412 p. Mozafar, A. 1994. Enrichment of some B vitamins in plants with application of organic fertilizers. Plant and Soil. Vol. 167: 305-311. Peavy, W.S. and J.K. Greig. 1972. Organic and mineral fertilizers compared by yield, quality and composition of spinach. J. Am. Sci. Hort. Sci. Vol. 96. p. 718-723. Petterson, B.D. and E.V. Wistinghausen. 1979. Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Soils and Crops. Miscellaneous Publication No. 1. Woods End Agricultural Institute, Mt. Vernon, ME. Pimpini, F., L. Giardini, M. Borin, and G. Gianquinto. 1992. Effects of poultry manure and mineral fertilizers on the quality of crops. J. Agric. Sci. Vol. 118, No. 2. p. 215-221. Rending, V.V. and D.S. Mickelsen. 1976. Plant Protein Composition as Influenced by Environment and Culture Practices. University of California, Special Publications No. 3058. Samuel, A.M. and J. East. 1990. Organically grown wheat ? the effect of crop husbandry on grain quality. Aspects Appl. Biol. Vol. 25. p. 199-208. Schuphan, W. 1972. Effects of the application of inorganic and organic manures on the market quality and on the biological value of agricultural products. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 21. p. 381-398. Schuphan, W. 1974. Nutritional value of crops influenced by organic and inorganic fertilizer treatments ? results of 12 years’ experiments with vegetables. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 23. p. 333-358. Schuphan, W. 1975. Yield maximization versus biological value. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 24. p. 281-310. Schultz, D.G., K. Koch, K.-H. Kromer, and U. Kopke. 1997. Quality comparison of mineral, organic and biodynamic cultivation of potatoes: contents, strength criteria, sensory investigations, and picture-creating methods. p. 115-120. In: William Lockeretz (ed.) Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21, Boston, MA. Schultz, D.G., and U. Kopke. 1997. The quality index: A holistic approach to describe the quality of food. p. 47-52. In: William Lockeretz (ed.) Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21, Boston, MA. Sheets, Olive. 1946. The Relation of Soil Fertility to Human Nutrition. Mississippi State College, Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 437. 20 p. Shier, N. W., et. al. 1984. A comparison of crude protein, moisture, ash and crop yield between organic and conventionally grown wheat. Nutrition Reports International. Vol. 30, No. 1. p. 71-77. Smith, Bob L. 1993. Organic foods vs supermarket foods: Element levels. Journal Of Applied Nutrition. Vol. 45, No. 1. p. 35-39. Srikumar, T.S. and P.A. Ockerman. 1990. The effects of fertilization and manuring on the content of some nutrients in potato (var. Provita). Food Chem. Vol. 37, No. 1. p. 47-60. Srikumar, T.S. and P.A. Ockerman. 1991. The effects of organic and inorganic fertilization on the content of trace elements in cereal grains. Food Chem. Vol. 42, No. 2. p. 225-230. Starling, W. and M.C. Richards. 1990. Quality of organically grown wheat and barley. Aspects Appl. Biol. Vol. 25. p. 193-198. Starling, W. and M.C. Richards. 1993. Quality of commercial samples of organically grown wheat. Aspects Appl. Biol. Vol. 36. p. 205-209. Stopes, C., L. Woodward, G. Forde, and H. Voghtmann. 1988. The nitrate content of vegetable and salad crops offered to the consumer as from “organic” or “conventional” production systems. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 5. p. 215-221. Svec, L.V., C.A. Thoroughgood, and H.C.S. Mok. 1976. Chemical evaluation of vegetables grown with conventional or organic soil amendments. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. Vol. 7, No. 2. p. 213-228. Warman, P.R. and K.A. Havard. 1996. Yield, vitamin and mineral content of four vegetables grown with either composted manure or conventional fertilizer. Journal of Vegetable Crop Production. Vol. 2, No. 1. p. 13-25. Warman, P.R. and K.A. Havard. 1997. Yield, vitamin and mineral contents of organically and conventionally grown carrots and cabbage. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. Vol. 61, No. 2-3. p. 155-162. Wolff, X.Y. 1991. Species, cultivar, and soil amendments influence fruit production of two Physalis species. HortScience. Vol. 26, No. 12. p. 1558-1559. New Citations That Look Interesting: Boisen, S., Hvelplund, T. & Weisbjerg, M.R. 2000. Ideal amino acid profiles as a basis for feed protein evaluation. Livest. Prod. Sci. 64, 239-251. Harder, L., Christensen, L.P., Christensen, B.T. & Brandt, K., 1998. Contents of flavonoids and other phenolics in wheat plants grown with different levels of organic fertilizer. Polyphenols Comminications 98, 495-496. Premuzic, Z., M. Bargiela, A. Garcia, & A. Iorio. 1998. Calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin C content of organic and hydroponic tomatoes. HortScience. Vol. 33, No. 2. p. 255-257. Recent Web Additions: Nitrate in Leafy Vegetables: Comparing Conventional and Organic Lettuce and Spinach in California Joji Muramoto, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems University of California, Santa Cruz http://www.agroecology.org/people/joji/research/nitrate.htm Abstract; links to the full 66-page report, a PDF download The Effect of Pre-Crop and Fertilization on Baking Quality of Organic Spring Wheat NJF-Workshop i ekologisk livsmedelskvalitet. Uppsala, 19-20 oktober 1998 http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/njf/utredn_rapporter/NUR128/NUR128F.HTM Web Links: Bibliographies Organically Produced Foods: Nutritive Content Special Reference Briefs Series No. SRB 2000-03 Compiled by Mary V. Gold (June 2000) Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb0003.htm Product Quality: (Nutritive Value, Contamination and Residues, Food Hygiene, Chemical Composition, Additives, Sensory Evaluation) Ready-Made Bibliographical List, FAO Organic Agriculture Compiled by Anika Seebert (September 1999) http://www.fao.org/organicag/doc/ProductQuality.doc Organics and Nutrition/Related Issues Reference List Diane Bourn, Department of Consumer Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand http://www.gks.com/library/nutrition/organics.nutrition.ref.html The Firman Bear "Report" Variation in Mineral Composition of Vegetables Firman E. Bear, Stephen J. Toth, and Arthur L. Prince http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/bearreport/index.html The Rutgers University study reprinted from Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 1948, Volume 13. pp. 380-4, The Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, 1949. Nutrition and Biodynamics: Evidence for the Nutritional Superiority of Organic Crops by Virginia Worthington MS, ScD, CNS. [Originally published in Biodynamics, Vol. 224, July/August, 1999) http://www.biodynamics.com/biodynamicsarticles/worth.html Note: This is one of the better literature reviews on this subject in recent years. Worthington presents the data in an easy-to-understand way, accompanied with an extensive list of literature citations. She concludes: "We have seen a pattern of better nutrient composition in organic crops, better health in animals consuming organic food and the existence of known mechanisms explaining observed differences between organic and conventional crops. Biodynamic crops performed extremely well on the most important measure, the health of consumers. Whatever problems there may be with the quantity or quality of existing studies, the body of evidence, at a minimum, provides strong indications that organic crops are more nutritious." European Research Long-Term Field Experiment in Sweden: Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Soil Fertility and Crop Quality (In Proceedings of an International Conference in Boston, Tufts University, Agricultural Production and Nutrition, Massachusetts March 19-21, 1997.) Arthur Granstedt & Lars Kjellenberg www.jdb.se/sbfi/publ/boston/boston7.html Influences of Bio-Dynamic and Organic Treatments on Yield and Quality of Wheat and Potatoes: The way to Applied Allelopathy Sustainable Agriculture Research Group and Biological Sciences Department. Wye College, University of London http://www.wye.ac.uk/agriculture/sarg/oral96.html Qualitative Assay Methods from Anthroposophy & Biodynamic Agriculture, The European Contribution Capillary Dynamolysis by Adam McLean First published in the Hermetic Journal 1980. http://www.levity.com/alchemy/kolisko.html Capillary Dynamolysis by David J. Heaf Science Group of Anthroposophy in Great Britain http://www.anth.org.uk/Science/capdyn.htm Sensitive Crystallization Anaylsis (Now in English!!) Hagalis Assoziation, Switzerland http://www.hagalis.purespace.de/PuretecEnglisch/Kristeng/ppframe.htm Sensitive Crystallization Slide Show. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!!! The Renaissance of Farming: A Vision for Organic Farming in the 21st Century, Proceedings Soil Association Conference, 7-9 January 2000 Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester (UK) Measuring Food Quality Peter Segger for Dr Ursula Balzer-Graf - Institute of Vital Quality, Switzerland 5-page paper, PDF download APPENDIX III: Dr Ursula Balzer-Graf's Slides 15-pages of accompanying slides, PDF download Side-by-side comparisons of sensitive crystallisation, capillary dynamolysis, and circular-paper chromatography for different samples of food and the influence of farming practices. Farming, Plant Nutrition and Food Quality Jens-Otto Anderson - Research Assistant, University of Copenhagen 4-page paper, PDF download [Duplicated in HTML at:] [http://www.pmac.net/farming_nutrition.html] The Renaissance of Farming Proceedings Located at: Soil Association | Library | Research Papers THE RENAISSANCE OF FARMING Conference Proceedings 7-9/1/2000 http://www.soilassociation.org There is a Difference! - Famous Chromatograms from Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer Galaxy Nutrients http://www.galaxynutrients.com/Difference.html Circular Chromatography Images: A Comparative Look at Natural vs Synthetic Products Using the 'Chroma' Method Special Thanks to Human Dimensions Institute http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/chromas.html Ecological Agriculture & Food Quality, Papers from Sweden What Do We Know About the Quality of Organic Foods? Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slv/var_foda/VFA95-8/VFA95-8R.HTM Characterization of Organically Produced Milk Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/ekologiskt_lantbruk/EKL05/EKL05AO.HTM Well Educated Consumers Prefer Ecological Milk Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/forskningsnytt/FLN98-01/FLN98-01D.HTM Quality in Ecological Agriculture Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/ekologiskt_lantbruk/EKL05/EKL05AN.HTM The Relation Between Quality and Quantity in Food Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/ekologiskt_lantbruk/EKL05/EKL05AQ.HTM The Effect of Pre-Crop and Fertilization on Baking Quality of Organic Spring Wheat NJF-Workshop i ekologisk livsmedelskvalitet. Uppsala, 19-20 oktober 1998 http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/njf/utredn_rapporter/NUR128/NUR128F.HTM A Primer on Quality, from USDA What is Quality and How Can We Measure It? Judith A. Abbott, USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Quality Laboratory, 1997 Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Reductions http://www.epa.gov/spdpublc/mbr/1997airc/060abbott.pdf Papers and Reports from IFOAM and FAO Producing and Marketing Quality Organic Products: Opportunities and Challenges 6th IFOAM Trade Conference: Quality and Communication for the Organic Market, October 1999 Hartwig de Haen1, Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations http://www.fao.org/organicag/doc/IFOAMf-e.htm Food Safety and Quality as Affected by Organic Farming Twenty Second FAO Regional Conference for Europe, July 2000 http://www.fao.org/regional/europe/erp/papes/english/erc007e.doc [Document] http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/X4983e.htm[HTML] IFOAM 2000: The World Grows Organic 13th International IFOAM Scientific Conference Programme http://www.ifoam2000.ch/conferent/confprogr.htm IFOAM 2000 | Workshop 2.3: Organic Foods and Human Health http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog05.htm IFOAM 2000 | Session 2.1: Quality of Organic Products - Part 1 http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog38.htm IFOAM 2000 | Session 2.1: Quality of Organic Products - Part 2 http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog46.htm IFOAM 2000 | Workshop 2.2: Methods of Quality Assessment http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog75.htm Position Paper from Government Food Safety Agency in the UK The Food Standards Agency's (United Kingdom) View on Organic Food - A Position Paper (August 2000) http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/pdf_files/organicview.pdf Thread on Nutrient Depleted Foods from Rodale Gardening Our Food is Becoming Less Nutritious. Why? Rodale Organic Gardening.com http://www.organicgardening.com/watchdog/usda_summary.html What's Happening To Our Foods? http://www.organicgardening.com/library/novdec_watchdogusda.html The USDA's Response to OG About Nutrient Decline http://www.organicgardening.com/watchdog/usda_reply.html Popular Press Articles Is Organically Grown Food More Nutritious? by Virginia Worthington, ScD The Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation article http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/OrganicNutrition.html Customers Can't Get Enough of Ripe, Juicy Peaches By Geraldine Warner http://www.goodfruit.com/archive/Apr1-98/special2.html Organic Food IS More Nutritious! by Robert (Bob) F. Heltman Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, November 1997 http://www.living-foods.com/articles/organicnutritious.html Eating Naturally - Organic Foods Consumer magazine, New Zealand http://www.consumer.org.nz/consumer/jan99-organic.html Organic Foods: Eating What Comes Naturally Natural Resources Defense Council http://www.nrdc.org/health/farming/forg101.asp Mineralization Viewpoint: Organic Farmers Need to Pay Attention to Minerals Too The Bad News About Organic Food Green Screens, April 1999 http://www.olywa.net/speech/april99/kline.html Viewpoints from Organic Farming Organizations Why Certified Organic Food Is Better Food Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association http://www.mofga.org/food.html Super Nutrition from Organic Food - Research Proposal Organic Retailers & Growers Association of Australia (ORGAA) http://www.netspeed.com.au/cogs/orgaa.htm Are We Stuck in an Organic Quality Rut? Chris Alenson, Organic Advisory Service, Organic Retailers & Growers Association of Australia http://www.netspeed.com.au/cogs/cogovsn.htm Nutritional Study Data, Organic Retailers and Growers Association of Australia Chris Alenson, Organic Advisory Service, Organic Retailers & Growers Association of Australia http://www.ofa.org.au/orgaastudy.html Historically Important Books on Nutrition and Diet from Weston Price & Francis Pottenger The Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation http://www.price-pottenger.org Weston Price's Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: Book review By Steve Solomon at Soil and Health Library http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020305ppnf/PPNF.HTML Weston Price's Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Potpourri of Price's Photos By Steve Solomon at Soil and Health Library http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020305ppnf/PPNFpartII.html Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Health Papers from Sir Albert Howard and Sir Robert McCarrison Cheshire Medical Testament -- With testimony and letters of Albert Howard, Sir Robert McCarrsion and Lionel Picton At Soil and Health Library http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020308testament.html Nutrition and National Health The Cantor Lectures, delivered before The Royal Society of Arts in 1936 By Sir Robert McCarrison At Soil and Health Library http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020306mccarrision/mccarrison.html FAO Documentation on Nutrition & Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, & Grains 1. Chapter 2. General properties of fruit and vegetables; chemical composition and nutritional aspects; structural features Fruit and Vegetable Processing FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin No.119 http://www.fao.org/docrep/V5030E/V5030E00.htm 2. Chapter 1.2. Food security, nutrition and health 1.2.1. Improvements to home processing and storage Guidelines for Small-Scale Fruit and Vegetable Processors FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin No. 127 http://www.fao.org/docrep/W6864E/W6864E00.htm 3. Prevention of Post-Harvest Food Losses Fruits, Vegetables and Root Crops: A Training Manual FAO Training Series No. 17/2 http://www.fao.org/docrep/T0073E/T0073E00.htm 4. Post-Harvest Losses in Quality of Food Grains [Book Review] FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No. 29 http://www.fao.org/icatalog/book_review/giii/W8857-e.htm General Nutrition Information Nutrition and Food on the Web - Finding the Right Stuff Jean Fremont, RD. School of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada http://www.sfu.ca/~jfremont/ The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) National Agricultural Library http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/ USDA Food Composition Laboratory/Databases http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/ USDA's Food Guide Pyramid Booklet http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/pyrabklt.pdf Minerals for Plants, Animals and Man Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdex/500/531-3.html Food Consumption & Diet-Health-Environment Connection Guidelines for Personal and Environmental Health: A Report on Food Consumption in Canada and the Diet-Health-Environment Connection by Jennifer Lombardi, BSc. McGill University Special Topics Course, Supervised by J. Henning (April 1997) http://eap.mcgill.ca/library/enig1.htm Background Paper on Fertization and Crop Quality Balanced Fertilization and Crop Quality By R. Härdter and A. Krauss IFA Agricultural Conference on "Managing Plant Nutrition" Barcelona, Spain. 29 June - 2 July 1999 http://www.fertilizer.org/PUBLISH/barc23.pdf Handbook on Organic Food Processing and Production Handbook of Organic Food Processing and Production, Second Edition Editors: Simon Wright, Diane McCrea Blackwell Science, September 2000 http://www.blackwell-science.com/~cgilib/bookpage.bin?File=10012685 Response from the Food Industry Current Hot Topics: Organic Food Institute of Food Science & Technology http://www.ifst.org/hottop24.htm Organic Industry Groups Spread Fear for Profit; Report Details Multi-Decade, Ongoing Campaigns to Create Consumer Distrust and Fear Over Conventional Foods http://www.NoMoreScares.com/news/organic.htm Marketing & The Organic Food Industry: A History of Food Fears, Market Manipulation and Misleading Consumers http://www.NoMoreScares.com/images/iea.pdf The Hidden Dangers in Organic Food American Outlook Magazine, Fall 1998 Dennis T. Avery http://www.hudson.org/American_Outlook/articles_fa98/avery.htm Organic Industry Response to Food Industry Media Spinners Response to Dennis Avery's Criticism of Organic Food By Tim Marshall, in Acres Australia http://www.ofa.org.au/averymain.htm Note: The nutritional quality of food raised by organic farming in comparison to conventional farming is a current topic that continues to attract interest and generate discussion. This document summarizes some of the viewpoints and provides a collection of in-print and on-line resources. Conclusion: The author concludes that an organic food label, itself, does not insure superior quality, primarily due to the fact that supermarket produce is pooled from anonymous sources, and farm-to-farm and geographical variability with regards to nutritional composition of food is a certainty. There are many factors affecting the nutrition of food, including soil type, variety, and post-harvest handling. In addition, soil testing, mineral supplementation, and biological soil management are practices that vary from farm to farm. Nevertheless, eco-labels exist to assure consumers that foods are produced according to ecological standards and guidelines, and organic labeled foods do meet these guidelines. Lastly, the special attention to food quality inherent to the organic agriculture movement is fundamentally important to this discussion. Whether from the biodynamic, eco-farming, or organic persuasion, a large number of farmers and researchers have developed a keen insight into soil health and food quality, as well as novel and innovative methods of qualitative analysis. Hopefully, this knowledge will continue to evolve and lead to more widely accepted production techniques that are known, for their healthy as well as economical value. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Because so
much of today’s produce is grown in soils virtually depleted of most trace
and many essential minerals, we grab for bottles of pills or drinks hoping
to make up the difference. But, as the old man said: “you can’t get out,
what ain’t in thar’”. Producers of fresh produce in the future
are going to have to be more attuned to the chemical analyses of the
products they are growing. Someday, like packaged products fresh
produce may require an actual content label to make the buyer aware
of what the item contains, NOT what it should contain. Time is
getting short. We have to put back into our soils what we have so
callously taken out for so long. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International
Institute for
Home
| Rio
Verde University | RVU-IIHW
| Tire
Mountain |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
