Amerika

Modernity brought us democratization or distribution of power, status, and wealth beyond the natural elites who are not only high-IQ but high in leadership ability and “nobility,” or a sense of acting toward excellence in an eternal context.

Democratization includes food, which we now produce in far greater amounts than ever before, but evidence suggests that quantity over quality prevails in democratization:

The Organic Consumers Association cites several other studies with similar findings: A Kushi Institute analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels 37 percent; vitamin A levels 21 percent, and vitamin C levels 30 percent. A similar study of British nutrient data from 1930 to 1980, published in the British Food Journal,found that in 20 vegetables the average calcium content had declined 19 percent; iron 22 percent; and potassium 14 percent. Yet another study concluded that one would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.

What can be done? The key to healthier produce is healthier soil. Alternating fields between growing seasons to give land time to restore would be one important step. Also, foregoing pesticides and fertilizers in favor of organic growing methods is good for the soil, the produce and its consumers.

Generally scientists agree that our food is less nutritive. They differ on why this is: one group emphasizes poorer quality of soil due to industrial fertilizers and glyphosate, and the other points to the newer strains of crops we grow in order to have more cheaper food for the democratization process.

Both are likely correct, with the latter being slightly more correct.

Criticism of high-yielding crop strains points out that faster and bigger crops often sacrifice necessary nutrients:

Since ancient times, nutrient-intense crops such as millets, conventional fruits, and vegetables have been broadly grown and are the most important staple food, but the area dedicated to these crops has been declining steadily over the past few decades and hastily after the green revolution era due to their poorer economic competitiveness with major commodities such as high-yielding varieties of potato, tomato, maize, wheat, and rice. The majority of the population in underdeveloped and developing countries have lower immune systems, are severely malnourished, and have multiple nutrient deficiency disorders due to poor dietary intake and less nutritious foods because of ignorance about the importance of our traditional nutrient-rich diets and ecofriendly organic farming methods. This critical review emphasizes the importance of balance and adequate nutrition as well as the need to improve soil biodiversity and fertility: those are main causes behind the decline in nutritional density.

Others find that the biggest change during our era of opulent malnutrition or “hidden hunger” is the shift to new engineered cultivars that prioritize caloric output over nutrition:

As a group, the 43 foods show apparent, statistically reliable declines (R < 1) for 6 nutrients (protein, Ca, P, Fe, riboflavin and ascorbic acid), but no statistically reliable changes for 7 other nutrients. Declines in the medians range from 6% for protein to 38% for riboflavin. When evaluated for individual foods and nutrients, R-values are usually not distinguishable from 1 with current data. Depending on whether we use low or high estimates of the 1950 SEs, respectively 33% or 20% of the apparent R-values differ reliably from 1. Significantly, about 28% of these R-values exceed 1. We suggest that any real declines are generally most easily explained by changes in cultivated varieties between 1950 and 1999, in which there may be trade-offs between yield and nutrient content.

Backing this, others find soil nutrients remain the same, even as less of these are making it into the crops, whether organic or petrochemical fertilizers are used:

The mineral concentration of archived wheat grain and soil samples from the Broadbalk Wheat Experiment (established in 1843 at Rothamsted, UK) was determined and trends over time examined in relation to cultivar, yield, and harvest index. The concentrations of zinc, iron, copper and magnesium remained stable between 1845 and the mid 1960s, but since then have decreased significantly, which coincided with the introduction of semi-dwarf, high-yielding cultivars. In comparison, the concentrations in soil have either increased or remained stable. Similarly decreasing trends were observed in different treatments receiving no fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers or organic manure. Multiple regression analysis showed that both increasing yield and harvest index were highly significant factors that explained the downward trend in grain mineral concentration.

This becomes relevant when we look at the global fertility crisis; high-carb diets are implicated in reproductive difficulties, but so are missing nutrients and minerals like selenium which is essential for reproductive health:

Six women with a history of unexplained infertility or early miscarriage and who had failed to normalize their red cell magnesium (RBC-Mg) levels after four months of oral magnesium supplementation (600 mg/day) were investigated for red cell glutathione peroxidase activity (RBC-GSH-Px) and were compared with six age-matched women with a history of unexplained infertility or miscarriage who did normalize their RBC-Mg levels on magnesium supplementation. The six non-normalizers had significantly lower (P < 0.0001) RBC-GSH-Px levels than the six normalizers. After a further two months of 200 micrograms daily oral selenium as selenomethionine and oral magnesium supplements, all six women normalized their RBC-Mg (P < 0.0001) and RBC-GSH-Px (P < 0.0001) levels. All 12 previously infertile women have produced normal healthy babies all conceiving within eight months of normalizing their RBC-Mg levels.

A lack of this vital mineral can lead to pregnancy difficulties as well as infertility:

During pregnancy, Se excess or deficiency is associated with miscarriage, pre-eclampsia (hypertension of pregnancy), gestational diabetes, fetal growth restriction and preterm birth. None of this is surprising, as Se is present in high concentrations in the ovary and testes, and work in animal models has shown that addition of Se to culture media improves embryo development and survival in vitro in association with reduced reactive oxygen species and less DNA damage. Selenium also affects uterine function and conceptus growth and gene expression, again in association with its antioxidant properties. Similarly, Se improves testicular function including sperm count, morphology and motility, and fertility. In animal models, supplementation of Se in the maternal diet during early pregnancy improves fetal substrate supply and alters fetal somatic and organ growth. Supplementation of Se throughout pregnancy in cows and sheep that are receiving an inadequate or excess dietary intake affected maternal whole-body and organ growth and vascular development, and also affected expression of angiogenic factors in maternal and fetal organs. Supplemental Se throughout pregnancy also affected placental growth, which may partly explain its effects on fetal growth and development, and also affected mammary gland development, colostrum yield and composition as well as postnatal development of the offspring. In conclusion, Se supplementation in nutritionally compromised pregnancies can potentially improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes, and thereby improve postnatal growth and development.

Unfortunately for humanity, selenium is not alone in being deficient, since omega 3 fatty acids and magnesium also are less present in our contemporary diet:

We confirmed the hypothesis that iodine, selenium, omega 3 fatty acids and magnesium are nutrients crucial for successful fecundity of couples. In the women, iodine supplementation ameliorates PCOS and regulating thyroid function while magnesium supplementation can reduce resistance insulin. Gynecologists and fertility specialists should not neglect the health of men and selenium and omega 3 fatty acids supplementation can improve sperm mobility increasing fertilization chances.

It turns out that the modern diet affects fertility, especially among women but probably also in falling sperm counts, with its reliance on sugars, seed oils, and carbohydrates:

On the basis of the current knowledge, it can be confirmed that the consumption of TFAs, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars negatively affects female fertility. In contrast, a diet based on the recommendations of the MeD—rich in dietary fiber, ɷ-3 FAs, vegetable protein, vitamins, and minerals—has a positive effect on female fertility.

Consider how nutrient deficiency also hammers male fertility:

Our findings suggest a potential link between low serum vitamin B12 and D levels and suboptimal semen parameters in infertile males. Addressing these nutritional deficiencies may hold promise for improving male fertility outcomes.

If you wonder why humanity is dying out, the first reason is obvious: the high cost of living caused by taxes that create free stuff from government. However, in addition to that outpouring of democracy, another democratization is slowly killing us through low-quality food and nutritional recommendations that are the opposite of what we need.

Tags: cultivars, fertility crisis, hidden hunger, nutrition, pesticides, selenium