Transcript Soil Health - Carbon Farmers of Australia

Soil Health
and why it matters for Human Health
2010
Dr. Carole Hungerford
BA MBBS FACNEM
Why soil health matters
The Gaia hypothesis
• Named after the Greek supreme god of
Earth [Prof. James Lovelock]
• Is an ecological hypothesis that proposes
that the biosphere of Earth behaves like
one living organism with feedback systems
to maintain homeostasis- from climatic and
geological through to the interdependence
of all life forms
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 2
The Anthropocentric view
•
•
•
All life revolves around Man. All other
species there to serve his purpose
Nature should be tamed by Man
If this is part of a divine plan-how has
Man honoured such trust?
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 3
Another view
•
•
•
Man is part of an ecosystem. He has
one trillion cells in his body-and ten
trillion living bacteria in/on his body/gut
The human body has been likened to a
shipwreck-whose main purpose is to
support the mass of coral organisms
growing on it [ref. 1]
Germ free mice develop multiple
allergies and immune disorders-and die
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 4
Our Future
•
•
•
The future of the human race is only as
viable as the human sperm
Sperm counts have been declining over
the last several decades
One in ten couples now need assisted
reproduction to conceive
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 5
Quote
“.....Nature isn't benign.....The survival of the
human species is not a pre-ordained
evolutionary program....genetic variation
exist[s]....not necessarily confined to what
happens routinely, or even frequently....It
is, I think, worthwhile being conscious of
the limits of our powers.....We are caught
in the food chain, whether we like it or not,
eating and being eaten..” [ref 2]
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 6
The Big Picture
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•
Human health depends on having the
“good guys” in our food chain.....
And avoiding the “bad guys”.....
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 7
What’s in soil health for us
• Carbon sequestration
• Water retention-the driest continent on
Earth
• Sustainability-we can feed ourselves
• Healthy plantsMacronutrients
Micronutrients: Vitamins, minerals, EFAs
Phytochemicals
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 8
Macronutrients
• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
Remember that most of our food begins in
the oceans and the soil. Hydroponics the
rare exception
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 9
Micronutrients
•
•
•
•
Vitamins
Minerals
Essential fatty acids
Phytochemicals
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 10
Vitamins
• A plant can make a vitamin. The structure of a
vitamin is a complex arrangement of simple
elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and
nitrogen
• It can get most of these from the air and water.
Under the dictation of genes, the healthy plant
will produce vitamins, [something humans
cannot do]
• We must eat the plant-or animal that has eaten it
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 11
Why does the plant do this?
• The main purpose of a vitamin is to act as
a co-factor in vital enzymatic reactions
• One type of reaction involves protection
from redox [free radical damage]
• The plant is protecting itself from the
oxidative damage of the sun on which so
many plants are dependent
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 12
Periodic table of the Elements
[Minerals]
H
He
Colour code
1
Hydrogen
Li
3
Lithium
Be
4
Sodium
K
19
Potassium
37
Purple: Trace nutrients for people, no role in plants
13
Magnesium
Aluminium
Ca Sc Ti
20
Calcium
38
Strontium
Cesium
Fr
87
Francium
56
Barium
Boron
Al
12
21
Scandium
Y
39
Yttrium
22
Titanium
Zr
40
Zirconium
Cs Ba La Hf
55
5
Blue: Trace nutrients for plants and people
Beryllium
Rb Sr
Rubidium
B
Green: Major Nutrients
Na Mg
11
2
57
Lanthanum
72
Hafnium
V
23
Vanadium
C
6
Carbon
Si
14
Silicon
N
7
Nitrogen
P
15
Phosphorous
O
8
Oxygen
S
16
Sulphur
Ar
17
18
Chlorine
Argon
Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br
Kr
36
Chromium
Manganese
26
Iron
27
Cobalt
28
Nickel
Copper
30
Zinc
31
Gallium
32
Germanium
33
Arsenic
34
Selenium
50
Ta
Cl
Neon
29
25
Sn Sb Te
73
10
Fluorine
Cr Mn Fe Co Ni
Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In
Tantalum
Ne
9
24
41
Niobium
F
Helium
42
Molybdenum
43
Technetium
44
Ruthenium
45
Rhodium
W Re Os Ir
74
Tungsten
75
Rhenium
76
Osmium
77
Iridium
46
Palladium
47
Silver
48
Cadmium
49
Indium
Tin
51
Antimony
Pt
Au Hg Tl
Pb Bi
78
79
82
Platinum
Gold
80
Mercury
81
Thallium
Lead
83
Bismuth
52
Tellurium
35
Bromine
I
Krypton
Xe
53
54
Iodine
Xenon
Po At
Rn
84
86
Polonium
85
Astatine
Radon
Ra Ac
88
Radium
89
Actinium
La Ce Pr
57
Lanthanum
58
Cerium
59
Praseodymium
Ac Th Pa
89
Actinium
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
90
Thorium
91
Protactinium
Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er
60
Neodymium
U
92
Uranium
61
Promethium
62
Samarium
63
Europium
64
Gadolinium
65
Terbium
66
Dysprosium
Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf
93
Neptunium
94
Plutonium
95
Americium
96
Curium
97
Berkelium
98
Californium
67
Holmium
68
Erbium
Tm Yb Lu
69
Thulium
70
71
Ytterbium
Lutetium
Es Fm Md No Lw
99
Einsteinium
100
Fermium
101
Mendelevium
102
103
Nobelium
Lawrencium
Page 13
Minerals-1
• Minerals can have structural roles-eg
magnesium and calcium in bone-or act as
co-factors like vitamins
• We may need them in grams, milligrams or
micrograms-where they are referred to as
“trace” or “ultra-trace” elements
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 14
Minerals-2
Unlike vitamins-the plant cannot make a
mineral
The mineral must be in the soil, the water
supply- [or the ocean]
One reason that sea vegetables are so
spectacularly good for us is the
abundance of minerals
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 15
The problem
• Not all soils are created equal
• Basalt soils are rich in the necessary
minerals
• Soils weathered by glaciers grinding
volcanic rocks often very rich [Joel
Wallach “glacial milk”]
• River flats may be rich from topsoils
washed from other farms
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 16
Agribusiness
• Crops remove the minerals they need.
• This includes calcium, magnesium,
phosphorus, carbon, potassium, selenium,
iodine, zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt,
boron, germanium, vanadium
• Once the crop is sold-these are taken from
the farm
• “fertilised” farms replace calcium, carbon,
potassium, phosphate and nitrogen
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 17
And More
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•
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The presence of a mineral in the soil
does not address its availability to the
plant
Various factors such as pH and mineral
balance at play
Selenium is only absorbed by biological
systems in a narrow pH range-NB acid
soils
Calcium competes for absorption with
magnesium at a cellular level
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 18
Quote
“...In the animal field we all know of the
relationship between selenium and
sulphates, nitrates and calcium, so that
nitrates and calcium and high dietary
calcium decrease the absorption of
selenium in cattle and has been
associated with muscular dystrophy ,
metritis, clinical mastitis and retained
placenta. In this context note the human
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 19
continued
fact that post menopausal women are
encouraged to take more calcium...Indeed,
the matter of [trace] mineral interrelationships is very delicate........”
Dr. Tom Hungerford, author of “Diseases of
Livestock” -personal communication
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 20
Animal vs Humans
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“5/7 in one” now comes with the option
of added selenium
Does your kids triple antigen or your
fluvax offer this option?
The posters in your local rural ag supply
shop acknowledge at least prevention of
grass tetany, [Mg], or ill-thrift, [selenium]
Do you see such notices at your doctor's
surgery?
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 21
continued
•
•
•
In Bangladesh pre-eclampsia [=grass
tetany]- is treated with magnesium [ref.3]
In Australia it is treated with a cocktail of
drugs then a Caesarian section
Is it time for the farmers to give the
medical profession a hand?
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 22
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Agribusiness
• If the plant can grow without the mineralwhy would the farmer add it to his fields?
• His animals are too expensive to keep to
old age
• Does anyone remember how tomatoes
and apples used to taste?
• Who has seen mutton, hoggett or aged
beef for sale recently?
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 24
How mother nature used to do it
• TreesShelter birds
Hold the topsoil together so that it is not lost
to dust storms
Increase the water carrying capacity of the
soil, protecting against drought
Roots break up rocks and release more
minerals to renew soils
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 25
Mother nature [cont.]
• Trees renew topsoil with leaf litter. This in
turn shelters moulds, fungi and microorganisms
• These micro-organisms affect the pH of
the soil, allow bacteria to fix nitrogen,
incorporate carbon etc
• Birds eat the pests avoiding the toxic
effects of agricultural chemicals
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 26
But there's more.......
•
•
•
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Microbes around the roots feed off
exudates from the plants symbiotically
The production by the plant of vitamins
and some of its amino acids depends on
this relationship
50% of all of the methionine in the plant
is selenomethionine [Adam Willson]
Se status affects both plant productivity
and human health
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 27
Some statistics
• A 2000 British study showed that from
earlier analyses there was an overall
decline:
– of calcium in fruits and vegetables 46%, in
broccoli it was 75%
– of copper overall 75%
– Carrots had lost 75% of their magnesium
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 28
Other examples
• 2001 Australian Organic retailers and growers
found:
Beans, tomatoes, capsicums and silver beet
often had ten times or more the zinc, calcium,
potassium, magnesium and iron when compared
to the conventional product
• Japanese researchers found higher levels of Vit
E, omega 3s and anti-oxidants in organic milk
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 29
And more
• CSIRO research published 2008 showed
that adding superphosphate to wheat crop
reduced the zinc content by 33-39 %
• The research suggested that phosphate
destroyed arbuscular mycorrhizial fungi
[AMF] which are required by the plant to
access the zinc that is in the soil
• Canola damages AMF in a similar manner
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 30
Moreover• Remember that phosphate is a synthetic solution
to the need for phosphorus
• When inorganic nitrogen [synthetic fertilisers] is
too easily available to plants they have less
incentive to produce anti-oxidants- vitamins,
bioflavonoids and anthocyanins
[phytochemicals]
• Organic tomatoes had 79-97% more quercetin
and kaempferol than commercially grown
tomatoes
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 31
And in the USA
• A 2006 dept. of agriculture [USDA] study
showed changes in wheat since new
varieties introduced in 1873
[i] 36% less selenium
[ii] 34% less zinc
[iii] 28% less iron
• University of Texas 2004 studied 43 fruits
and vegetables. Protein, minerals and
vitamins-had all declined www.scribd.com
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 32
Selenium
• Article in Lancet - Margaret Rayman - July 2000
linked selenium depletion in European soils to:
[i] thyroid disorders
[ii] decreasing sperm motility
[iii] decreasing fertility
[iv] increased miscarriage rate
[v] increased cancer rates across the spectrum
[vi] mood disorders
[vii] increased risk of heart disease
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 33
Some statistics
•
One Australian dies every 5 hours in a
road accident- vehicle safety legislation
• One Australian dies every 4 hours from
breast cancer-pink ribbons, yellow
daffodils and pollies' wives take tea
• One Australian dies every two hours
from bowel cancer- pilot screening
program
Study L.Clark JAMA Dec 1996 indicated
selenium
reduced
bowel
cancer
58%
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 34
Missing in Action [b]-Selenium
Clark et al: found overall reduction in cancer
mortality of c. 50% when supplements of 200
mcg./day selenium given [ref. 1996!]
Prof. Graeme Young, head of Flinders Centre for
Cancer Prevention and Control presented paper
indicating that a reduction in bowel cancer of
60% with 150 mcg./day possible [ref. 2009]
“What the selenium does is just make the cell
better at perceiving that it has to kill itself”
Australia, NZ, Zaire and the Keshan province in
China have the world’s lowest soil selenium
levels
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Doctors take notice!
October 2009-specialists attending a
Gastroenterology conference in Sydney
heard that supplemental selenium could
halve the rate of bowel cancer
• Doses recommended of 150 mcg daily
• Dr. John Fitzherbert-cancer surgeon and
cattle farmer has been saying this for
decades!!!!
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 36
Learning from Chinese and OS
experience
•
Keshan disease-viral cardiomyopathy
-selenium conferred resistance to coxsackie
viruses. ?Rylstone
•
•
Hepatitis B, primary liver cancer Qidong
province
Proposal that selenium depletion allows
avian flu to emerge from affected areas in
Asia and enabled HIV to jump to humans
in Zaire [New Scientist 2005.1995 p. 16]
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 37
Iodine
• Iodine deficiency in soil well known. Has
now been linked to:
[i] thyroid disorders
[ii] fibrocystic breast disease
[iii] breast cancer
[iv] polycystic ovaries
[v] ovarian cancer
[vi] mental retardation/cretinism of the
newborn
©
Dr. Carole
Hungerford spectrum disorders
Page 38
[vii]
autistic
Iodine deficiency
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•
•
•
Recent study showed that 59% of
children were iodine deficient
Iodine is a halogen that competes with
other halogens such as fluorine and
bromine
Iodised salt is not the answer
Have you wondered where all of the
ADD and ASD kids are coming from?
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 39
Essential fatty acids
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•
•
•
These include the omega 3s and the
omega 6s
Sourced from plant and animal foods
Animals, including fish, cannot make
omega 3 fatty acids
They are so important that Nature put
them right down at the bottom of the
food chain in algae, nuts and seeds
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 40
Strucure of omega-3
alphalinonenic acid
Man's intervention
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•
•
When we kill certain weeds we destroy
one source of omega 3s. Seeds of
Paterson's curse rich in omega 3's
When we add chlorine to drinking water
we destroy another [gut bacteria]
Among other uses-omega 3s give cold
tolerance. GMO crops may lose their
omega 3 production
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 42
Phytochemicals-Nature's Pharmacy
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•
•
•
•
Complex plant nutrients-whose potential
is as yet barely understood
Phytosterols are one such group
They are not “phyto-oestrogens”
They contain sterol rings and are
nature's buffer c.f. “gender bender”
chemicals
Clover a good example. Clover says to
sheep-you may eat me but if you eat too
much I'll act like the OC, [coumestrol]
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 43
Other phytochemicals
Other phytochemicals include alkaloids,
allicins, anthocyanins, capsaicins,
flavonoids and bioflavonoids, glucosinates,
lycopenes, polyphenolic compounds,
resveratrol, salacinol, tannins, zeanthin
and lutein, curcurmerins, salicylates
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 44
STEROLS
Cholesterol
Progesterone
H3C
CH3
H3C
CH3
CH3
Estradiol (oestradiol)
O
OH
CH3
HO
O
HO
Cortisol
Testosterone
OH
OH
O
OH
HO
O
O
Tamoxifen
Daidzein
HO
O
O
© 2008 Carole
Hungerford & ACNEM©
OCH2CH2N(CH3)2
Genistein
HO
O
OH
O
OH
Female Hormonal Problems
CH3
OH
Page 45
Anthocyanins
•
•
•
Shaping up as a wonder nutrient
Anti-oxidants with value for Alzheimers,
cancer, cardiovascular disease and
arthritis
Good studies on treating leukaemias,
lymphomas [University Pittsburgh 2007]
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 46
The Bad Guys
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•
•
Actions which reduce essential fatty
acids production
GMO
Toxins
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 47
GMO -containment
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In paddocks-threat to agriculture
GMO genes are very good at insertion
into other genomes. That's what they are
designed to do [ref. 4]
• “Experts” from a US agricultural
scientist:
“I'm not an expert on confinement. Hardly
anyone is......” [ref. 5]
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 48
GMO
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•
•
Of all the scary things about GMO, the
insertion of GMO genes into gut bacteria
one of the scariest
Nature is highly conservative-note
bacteria in termites 20 million years old
in amber from the Dominican Republic
[ref.6]
Note the conversion of yersinia pestis
with just one gene into bubonic plague
[ref.7]
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 49
GMO and gut bacteria
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•
•
About 80-90% of your immune system is
in your gut
The overwhelming proportion of that lies
with the gut bacteria
“......they have demonstrated that you
can get GM plant DNA in the gut
bacteria. Everyone used to deny this
was possible...” Michael Antonio King's
College Medical School London
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 50
Toxic Chemicals
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•
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Higher rates of Parkinson's disease,
cancers, lymphomas-and in some areasincreased birth defects-directly linked to
the use of agricultural chemicals [ref. 8]
The question of synergism never
addressed by the authorities
Australia in denial over the toxicity of
organochlorines-as instanced by the
recent endosulfan debate
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 51
EU
• Recent figures show
• 49% of fruits, vegetables and cereals
contain pesticide residues
• 10% of products contain four or more
chemicals
• 5% of all fruits vegetables contain
concentrations above legal levels
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 52
Gender Benders and POPs
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•
•
•
•
Breakdown products of pesticides and
plastics directly linked to a range of
cancers-and fertility issues
POPs refers to “persistent organic
pollutants”
Linkage also made to type 2 Diabetes
[ref. 9]
These are the big killers of the 21stC
Breast cancer approaching 1:7. If this
was snake bite or AIDs-your response?
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 53
Pollutants: pesticides
• Vinclozin – viticulture fungicide blocks
male hormones
• Methoxychlor - pesticide with oestrogenic
activity
• No DNA damage. Epigenetic impact
suspected. Reduction of fertility apparent
4 generations [of rats] later
Another View
Recent conference of the American Association for
the advancement of Science [AAAS] in San
Diego looking at the role of chemicals that
increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer, [and
possibly male cancers].
Over 200 chemicals have at least one study
showing ability to cause mammary tumours in
animals. Discussed DDT, dioxin and Bisphenol
A. Only a few studies looking at breast cancer
in humans
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
And More
“… you shouldn’t have to have an advanced
chemistry degree when you go to the
grocery store….to buy your personal care
products or …your food.. to know whether
or not they are going to increase your
risk…”
Sarah Janssen, physician, scientist
The Health Report ABC radio national 1st.
March 2010 Breast cancer and chemicals
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
POPs and PAHs
Persistent organic pollutants
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Stockholm Convention and Treaty
completed May 2001. Names the
“Dirty Dozen”
May 2009 162 countries and the EU
ratified it
In Australia its about “phasing out” we are
still using endosulfan in 2010
What has happened to our soils,
our plants, us?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Addition of superphosphate
Failure to replace lost nutrients
Change of pH
Loss of topsoil
Loss of bio-system feedback
Introduction of toxic chemicals
Hybridisation of plants-allergenic
GMO
Monocultures
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 58
Further Reading
• Australian Organic Producer (quarterly
magazine published by BFA)
• Australian Certified Organic (quarterly
magazine published by BFA)
• Organic Advantage electronic magazine
published by BFA
• www.bfa.com.au
• www.soilsystems.com.au
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 59
Further Reading continued
•
Why Health is the Key to the Future of
Food and Farming
edited by Tim Lang and Geoff Rayner.
[commissioned by the UK Government]
• “Stolen Future” Colborn, Myers,
Dumanoski 1996
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 60
References
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•
•
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1. “Insider Trading” Garry Hamilton New
Scientist 26.06.99
2. The Coming Plague p.6 Laurie Garrett
1994
3. Shamsudden International Journal of
Gynecology and Obstetrics vol 70
supplement 2 2000 p.47
4. Genetic Roulette Jeffrey M. Smith
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 61
References
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•
•
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•
5. Here we go again New Scientist
06.07.2002 p.3
6. New Scientist 16.02.2002 p.23
7. From Minor to Major New Scientist
04.05.2002
8. Chemical Sensitivity [4 volumes]
William J. Rea; The Politics of Cancerrevisited Samuel Epstein
9. A possibility too frightening to ignore
New Scientist 13.09.2008
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 62
Pipkin and the agouti gene
Alpacas can have it too -the
agouti gene
The Enlightened ?!
•
AIMA www.aima.net.au
• Australasian Integrative Medicine Association
•
ACNEM www.acnem.org
• Australasian College of Nutritional and
Environmental Medicine
© Dr. Carole Hungerford
Page 65
© Dr. Carole Hungerford