Plants, Humans, and supplementation

Optimal Health Newsletter #7

'Plants, Humans, and Supplementation'

*** as with many of these 'OHN's, they were originally written at or around a particular time of year. Although this issue was written just before Spring, the information has a non-seasonal interest as well***

Spring and daylight savings time have arrived. (Hooray!). Since its about the time to start putting out the seedlings in the garden, I thought I would take this opportunity to review a personal story that had a lot of influence on the way I look at optimal health and wellness today. This took place over thirty years ago, when I was a college student (at UCSB, believe it or not!).

Nearing the end of my undergraduate years, I needed a few more units in Biology to complete the requirements for application to medical school. I signed up for an introductory Botany class, mostly because it was scheduled at 11AM. (I had, by this time, learned to avoid early morning classes whenever possible). I got unbelievably lucky and had one of the best instructors ever! Bill Purvis was a young Ph.D. just out of Cal Tech. Brilliant, iconoclastic, and a great teacher. One of the first molecular biologists to come to UCSB. That class, and a subsequent class in plant physiology, really got into the biochemical basis of reactions associated with living organisms. In particular, I remember an experiment that was associated with the laboratory portion of the class.

We started out with cuttings from a plant (I forget now what type of plant it was). Because these were cuttings, and not seeds, they were all genetically identical. First we took the cuttings and transplanted them all into rich soil so that they would start growing on their own. After a few weeks, when they were well established and thriving, we transplanted each small plant to a larger growing container. At this point, however, we altered the environment of each plant specimen. We created numerous variations in growing conditions, including amount of water, soil drainage, sunlight, and other factors. Two very significant variables were 1) the type of soil and 2) the supplement nutrients that were provided to each plant. Soil quality ranged from beach sand, with no

nutrient value whatsoever (but with good drainage!) to nutrient-rich commercial potting soil. Between these extremes there were many variations. Some plants were transplanted into containers with dirt obtained from soil outside the laboratory window (I wonder what kind of toxins were in that stuff?!). Very quickly there were clear, easily observable differences in both the appearance and rate of growth of the different plants. It was clear early-on that the health of the plant was in large part related to the nutrient quality of the soil into which they were transplanted. As the weeks went by, different plants were given various supplements, primarily minerals, on a regular basis. Some received individual substances such as Sulfur, Phosphorous, and Nitrogen. Others were given differing combinations of these and numerous other nutrients. Some were given .the works., virtually the equivalent of today’s ‘Miracle Grow’. Back in those days, these optimal supplements were not commercially available; we had to mix them up in the lab. (Probably someone in a program like that somewhere saw the business opportunity of this experiment and is not working today because of that foresight). To make a long story short, the plants that received the best nutrition were like ‘super plants’. The differences in size, color, disease resistance, vibrancy, etc. were both dramatic and clearly and quickly visible. With factors such as sunlight and water being equal, the health of each individual plant specimen varied in direct relationship to the quality and consistency of the soil and supplementation program. Basic soil content, while especially important at first, became a less significant variable over time and the continued health of the plants depended primarily upon the nature and regularity of the supplementation program.

As humans, we are many things, but we certainly are, in part, .what we eat. Oftentimes, in people, the differences in health related to nutrition are subtle and not easily noticed, particularly in the short term. A person can take vitamins, trace minerals, and other supplements and not always feel differently right away. One of the valuable things about an experiment with plants is that the differences are observable in a very short period of time. The importance of good soil and regular high-quality supplementation is a part of the life of plants that is not .secret.. The implications of this type of experiment to human health and well-being are quite clear. The soil corresponds to our diet. It should be as good as we can make it. For optimal health (that’s our goal, right?), we also need supplementation on a consistent and regular basis.

I know that for just about everyone reading this newsletter that the above is like preaching to the choir. Nevertheless, I think it is a pretty effective example of the importance to our health of a good diet and supplementation program. I still remember this experiment vividly. Soon we will be putting a couple of tomato plants behind the office and try to do it again, at least on a limited basis. So, when you come to the office, see if you can tell which plant is getting the Miracle Grow. It shouldn't be hard to tell!

(Update July 13, 2002 - I would encourage all of you who might be interested is seeing this project to stop by the office. It is pretty dramatic! Plant #1, which went into regular 'ordinary' soil and didn't receive any supplementation, has never really done anything.)