Our Food Has Fewer Nutrients Than Every Before; Here's Why

When we talk about health, performance, even body composition and gaining muscle, we have to first highlight the importance of filling your diet with a wide variety of healthy, natural foods.

A health diet should always be the foundation. Variety is important, too. You need different plants and animals to create the optimal diet. Even within that, organ meats are great, not just muscle or conventional meats.

But, is our food what it used to be?

And where does supplementation fit into the equation?

There are several studies that highlight the impact of soil degradation on the nutrient content of our food. Soil degradation, which includes erosion, loss of soil organic matter, and nutrient depletion, significantly affects soil health and, consequently, the nutritional quality of the crops we consume, but also those that our food consumes.

Research indicates that modern agricultural practices, such as frequent tillage and the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, have degraded soils worldwide.

These practices disrupt the soil's structure, reduce organic matter, and diminish microbial life, all of which are essential for nutrient cycling and soil fertility. This degradation results in lower nutrient density in crops, meaning that the food produced today contains fewer vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients compared to the past​ (Frontiers)​​ (Springer)​.

A notable study published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems explains how soil health directly influences the nutrient density of crops. The researchers argue that healthier soils, rich in organic matter and microbial life, enhance the nutrient uptake by plants, leading to more nutrient-dense food. Conversely, degraded soils fail to provide the necessary nutrients, resulting in crops with lower levels of essential micronutrients and phytochemicals​ (Frontiers)​.

Additionally, a review in SpringerLink underscores that soil degradation has led to a reduction in crop yields and nutritional quality. The authors highlight that as much as one-third of the world's potential farmland has been degraded due to unsustainable agricultural practices, impacting both food security and nutrition globally​ (MDPI)​.

Another comprehensive review from MDPI Sustainability discusses the broader implications of soil degradation on food security. It points out that soil health is crucial for maintaining high crop yields and quality. The degradation of soil reduces the soil's ability to retain water and nutrients, which not only decreases agricultural productivity but also the nutritional value of the food produced​ (SpringerLink)​.

The degradation of soil health due to modern agricultural practices is a significant factor contributing to the reduction of nutrient density in our food. This is where supplementation comes in.

We're also seeing deficiencies in vital nutrients like magnesium (Man Sleep), zinc (Man Boost), and D3 (Man D3) among others. So supplementing with these and other vitamins and minerals can get you to those levels where humans need to be to thrive...

...Which is what we're after. 

We want to have all vital nutrients in high levels in our system, not just bottom of the baseline levels.

Soil degradation is an issue, but so are our diets.

Fads Are Failing Us

Veganism isn't optimal. Neither is a fully carnivorous diet. But even 'balanced' diets don't have the variety that humans thrive on.

Our meals are too simple, especially in the West. Where humans once hunted whatever was available - giving variety - and at the entire animal, we're now just eating the muscle and tossing the organs, which contain omega-3's, nutrients like choline that are vital for cognitive health (Man Brain), and many others.

And our carbs are refined and enriched, our fruits are prayed with dangerous and anti-androgenic chemicals. And we eat the same few kinds of foods every single day, just for simplicity's sake, which I understand, I do the same.

In our Meal Plans we give you that variety, in the right macro and caloric breakdown to help you reach your goals, but here are a few meal structures I use to add variety into my meals to at least help fill some of the gaps we see in our diets, to promote this optimal performance I want to have, as well as optimal health.

Meal 1

Each food is organic to ensure none of these pesticides are at least used on them.

+ ground bison/beef/game meats

+ 4-5 whole eggs

+ oatmeal + assorted berries + cacao nibs + banana

Tips:

Cacao nibs are rich in magnesium and help circulation (we have cacao in Man MOJO). Berries in antioxidants. Bananas in potassium.

Meal 2

+ chicken hearts

+ white rice or quinoa

Tips:

From a nutrient standpoint, quinoa is amazing. As are chicken hearts and other organ meats. 

Meal 3

+ steak (insert different animals here, variety is good)

+ potatoes 

Tips:

Potatoes are actually very nutritious, as is any root vegetable as it absorbs more of the nutrients that are in the soil. Ideally opt for organic, and if you can, from a local farm.

If you add variety to your diet, eat whole foods that are ideally organic, and supplement, you'll be fine re: getting enough of the right nutrients in your body to have the quality of life you desire.

Then, just add in exercise, good sleep, and creating the right mindset to be able to manage stress, and you're golden.

If you want more info on how to eat to optimize health and hormonal health, check out these resources: