If the food that we eat contains all of the nutrients that food
could possibly contain, and in the right ratios, then we will get
sufficient nutrition while consuming the calories we need to supply
energy. However, to the degree that our diet contains denatured food
supplying too much energy, we will be lacking nutrition and our
bodies will suffer gradual degeneration. This is why foods such as
sugar and fat are less healthful because they are concentrated
sources of energy that contain little or no nutrition. Nutritionless
food also contributes to "hidden hungers" since the organism craves
something that is missing. The body overeats, and becomes fat and
unhealthy.
Albrecht's charts show us that food from dry climates tends to be
high in proteins and essential minerals while simultaneously lower
in calories. Food from wet climates tends to be higher in calories
while much lower in protein and essential mineral nutrients.
Albrecht's writings, as well as those of Weston Price, and Sir
Robert McCarrison listed in the bibliography, are full of examples
showing how human health and longevity are directly associated with
these same variations in climate, soil, and food nutrition.
Albrecht pointed out a clear example of soil fertility causing
health or sickness. In 1940, when America was preparing for World
War II, all eligible men were called in for a physical examination
to determine fitness for military service. At that time, Americans
did not eat the same way we do now. Food was produced and
distributed locally. Bread was milled from local flour. Meat and
milk came from local farmers. Vegetables and potatoes did not all
come from California. Regional differences in soil fertility could
be seen reflected in the health of people.
Albrecht's state, Missouri, is divided into a number of distinct
rainfall regions. The northwestern part is grassy prairie and
receives much less moisture than the humid, forested southeastern
section. If soil tests were compared across a diagonal line drawn
from the northwest to the southeast, they would exactly mimic the
climate-caused mineral profile differences Albrecht had identified.
Not unexpectedly, 200 young men per 1,000 draftees were medically
unfit for military service from the northwest part of Missouri while
400 per 1,000 were unfit from the southeastern part. And 300 per
1,000 were unfit from the center of the state.
Another interesting, and rather frightening, conclusion can be drawn
from the second chart. Please notice that by increasing the amount
of potassium in the potting soil, Albrecht increased the overall
yield by 25 percent while simultaneously lowering all of the other
significant nutritional aspects. Most of this increase of yield was
in the form of carbohydrates, that in a food crops equates to
calories. Agronomists also know that adding potassium fertilizer
greatly and inexpensively increases yield. So American farm soils
are routinely dosed with potassium fertilizer, increasing bulk yield
and profits without consideration for nutrition, or for the ultimate
costs in public health. Organic farmers often do not understand this
aspect of plant nutrition either and may use "organic" forms of
potassium to increase their yields and profits. Buying organically
grown food is no guarantee that it contains the ultimate in
nutrition.
So, if health comes from paying attention to the ratio of nutrition
to calories in our food, then as gardeners who are in charge of
creating a significant amount of our own fodder, we can take that
equation a step further: