Nutrition and Mineral Deficiency

Before we look at how we can remedy our nutritional deficiencies, let's take a look at why the world is in the state of poor human and animal health.

Following the back story, watch the videos and click the links below to find remedies to help you and your family.

The Back Story 

Farming methods in the 1970s shifted dramatically due to geopolitical and economic factors, leading to long-term impacts on soil health and food nutrition. 

The Soviet Union’s 1972 grain deal with the U.S. triggered a surge in agricultural exports, prompting farmers to adopt intensive practices to maximize yields12. This included heavy use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation systems, alongside expansion onto marginal lands38. 

While these methods initially boosted production, they depleted soil nutrients over time, reducing the mineral content of crops and animal products. 

Modern diets now face deficiencies in zinc, iron, selenium, and other vital minerals due to these systemic changes.

Why Farming Methods Changed in the 1970s

• Export-driven expansion: The Soviet Union’s wheat purchase (440 million bushels in 1972) and global crop failures created a surge in demand, tripling grain prices23. Farmers borrowed heavily to buy land and invest in technology like specialized machinery and chemical inputs12.

• Policy shifts: The 1973 Farm Bill encouraged production for export markets, linking U.S. agriculture to volatile global trade3.

• Technological adoption: High-yield crop varieties, synthetic fertilizers, and herbicides became widespread to meet demand, prioritizing quantity over soil health89.

• Short-term boom: Corn prices rose 77% (1972–1973), soybean prices surged 168%, and livestock values spiked2. Farm incomes grew, but debt levels ballooned as land prices inflated23.

• Long-term soil degradation: Intensive monocropping and synthetic fertilizer use disrupted soil ecosystems, reducing organic matter and microbial diversity910. By 2024, arable land globally lost 30–56% of key nutrients like calcium and iron in crops such as broccoli69.

• Dependence on inputs: Farmers became reliant on chemical fertilizers to maintain yields, exacerbating nutrient stripping and soil erosion510.

Modern farming practices directly caused nutrient loss through:

1. Overharvesting: Continuous cropping without fallow periods depleted minerals410.

2. Synthetic fertilizers: Nitrogen-heavy fertilizers boosted yields but suppressed natural nutrient cycling, reducing zinc, iron, and selenium uptake59.

3. Erosion and irrigation: Topsoil loss (e.g., 1/3 of U.S. Corn Belt topsoil eroded by 2000) and poor water management leached minerals910.

4. High-yield crops: Selective breeding prioritized fast growth over nutrient absorption, creating plants with lower mineral density46.

Livestock and dairy products now lack minerals because:

• Animals consume feed from depleted soils, transferring deficiencies up the food chain510.

• Industrial farming practices prioritize rapid growth over nutrient-rich feed, exacerbating gaps59.

• Zinc (Zn): Critical for immune function; deficient in 49% of India’s soils9.

• Iron (Fe): Impacts energy levels; 12% of global soils lack adequate iron9.

• Selenium (Se): Vital for thyroid health; naturally low in granite-based soils57.

• Copper (Cu) and Manganese (Mn): Essential for enzyme function; stripped by intensive cropping57.

• Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg): Reduced by 56% and 35% in some vegetables since 1975610.

• Boron (B) and Molybdenum (Mo): Key for bone health; depleted in 33% of agricultural lands59.

This nutrient decline contributes to "hidden hunger," where calorie intake is sufficient but micronutrient deficiencies persist, increasing risks for chronic diseases69. Addressing these gaps requires regenerative farming practices and targeted supplementation57.

1. https://growinganation.org/content/show-content/into_a_new_millenium
2. https://www.agrinews-pubs.com/business/2022/03/21/45-years-of-agrinews-1970s-boom-turned-into-1980s-crisis/
3. https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2019/07/the-other-side-of-the-seventies.html
4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/
5. https://snaactive.com.au/mineral-deficiencies-soil-depletion-agricultural-food-production/
6. https://rancholapuerta.com/2025/04/01/disappearing-nutrients-how-modern-farming-is-changing-the-food-we-eat/
7. https://people.wou.edu/~taylors/es420_med_geo/med_geo/knez_graham_2013_soil_nutrients.pdf
8. http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2011/december/changing-farming-practices
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10969708/
10. https://www.libertymissionfarms.com/post/why-poor-soil-is-making-us-mineral-deficient
11. https://tynerpondfarm.com/blog/the-decline-of-nutritional-value-in-modern-agriculture-causes-and-consequences/
12. https://www.iatp.org/files/scarcity_of_micronutrients.pdf
13. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2791618/
14. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019315855
15. https://www.provicorural.com.au/the-importance-of-animal-nutrition-in-livestock-production/
16. https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/artifact/1544/1970s-see-good-times-agriculture
17. https://ke.boell.org/en/2025/02/27/missing-link-soil-health-and-nutrition-crisis
18. https://biomedres.us/pdfs/BJSTR.MS.ID.008570.pdf
19. https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2019/05/a-brief-review-of-the-consequential-seventies.html
20. https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farming-in-the-70s/making-money/farm-boom-of-the-1970s/
21. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030224011287
22. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157516302113
23. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25847176/
24. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5402/2012/704825
25. https://www.lkabminerals.com/news/minerals-help-agriculture/
26. https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/why-modern-food-lost-its-nutrients/
27. http://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/artifact/1544/1970s-see-good-times-agriculture
28. https://www.morningagclips.com/a-precarious-boom-american-agriculture-in-the-1970s/
29. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/f4be579d-eed0-4645-9629-f803a1a9e22b/content
30. https://www.fao.org/3/c8930e/c8930e.pdf
31. https://passel2.unl.edu/view/lesson/c3ded390efbf/10
32. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution
33. https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=books&filename=3&type=additional
34. https://advancingecoag.com/article/farming-microbiology-maximizing-nutrient-availability-through-soil-regeneration/

Two simple assessments come to mind immediately.

1. Use a simple home health testing urine strip for you and the whole family. Read my other article which explains how to do this and where to purchase (currently only available in Europe and the UK). In short, you pee on a special stick and within 60 seconds receive a wellness score out of 10 PLUS a breakdown of 10 body measurements including vitamin C, magnesium, ketones, hydration, sodium, zinc,pH, protein, oxidative stress and calcium.
2. Take a sample of your hair and receive a detailed laboratory report on the ratios of  minerals and heavy metals within your own body, with guidance on how to correct any imbalances through dietary changes. Read more HERE about the HTMA analysis.

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