THE EDITOR, Sir:A MOTION by Senator Anthony Johnson aimed at promoting a scientific inquiry into improving Jamaica's soil quality in order to boost declining agricultural yields could also be of significant value to the quality of health.
It is common knowledge that poor exhausted soil will produce only weak sickly plants. In the same way poor nutrition, lacking in essential nutrients will produce weak, sickly bodies prone to diseases.
There is therefore a relationship between health, disease and the soil, albeit a complex one, as everything in the plant kingdom is composed of the chemistry of living matter. Plants 'eat' the mineral kingdom and man eats the plants.
The relationship of the soil to the plants can be linked to the relationship of food to the human body. You are what you eat.
The sad truth is that today's food is not what it used to be. Fruits and vegetables are only as good as the soil in which they are grown. Minerals pass from the soil to the plant and in turn help the plant to grow and produce vitamins.
A deficient soil will produce food that is deficient in essential nutrients. The lack of which is considered to be one of the major causes of the breakdown of a healthy metabolism resulting in the appearance of a chronic disease.
In addition to the nutritive value of food from plants (vegetables and fruits) plants produce substances called phytochemicals, which are biologically compounds in foods that help to promote health and prevent disease.
Could our soil be a contributory factor in our health problems chronic degenerative illnesses? A scientific inquiry could therefore be revealing.
Notwithstanding the objectivity of the proposed scientific inquiry to boost declining agricultural yields numerous other benefits including soil capabilities and potential mineral content of health value could be of interest.
From another health perspective it would be of interest to note, also from the scientific inquiry the level of toxic metals such as aluminum, mercury, lead, iron, cadmium, etc. in the soil. These insidious metals, which simply do not belong in the human body, are toxic and compete with essential minerals. Over time they may cause a variety of disturbing behavioural symptoms in the appearance of a chronic disease.
Trusting that the implementation of a scientific inquiry into Jamaica's soil quality will enhance the potential for reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
I am ,etc.,
DR. VANCE LANNAMAN
N.M.D.
naturaldoc@cwjamaica.com
