The proof is in the soil

‍

Health: COVID-19 has brought the issue of human immunity to the forefront. As scientists rush to develop vaccines, doctors are left to discover alternative ways of keeping vulnerable patients safe. In the eyes of Rupa Marya, MD, “there is a profound connection between soil health and human health - and it's all in the gut.” After marrying a regenerative farmer, she discovered a link between his soil microbiology reports and the reports on her patients’ gut microbiomes; the human microbiome is comprised of over 100 trillion microbes - bacteria, fungi, and viruses - that live inside each of us.

• It became clear to Dr. Marya that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides sterilize topsoil. To make matters worse, the overuse of chemical herbicides and antibiotics in agriculture has increased the amount of drug-resistant bacteria found in soil and livestock. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi cause more than 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths in the US each year.
• The more complex the soil, the more efficiently plants cycle nutrients, making them more nutrient-rich. Biodiversity, which regenerative agriculture seeks to enhance, is what enables the gut microbiome to combat inflammation and disease. With this in mind, it’s not just up to medical professionals to regulate health, but also farmers and policymakers, who control the way in which our food is produced and regulated.

Watch: Searching for a feel-good movie to curl up with this weekend? Look no further than Kiss the Ground, a new documentary streaming on Netflix. Woody Harrelson lends his voice to the film that argues for the restorative power of soil, which can facilitate carbon drawdown and offer a powerful remedy to climate change. Check out Kisstheground.com to learn more about the organization’s efforts to transition 5,000 farms towards regenerative practices by 2025.

Eat: Maple Hill Creamery is a family-owned manufacturer setting the gold standard in 100% grass-fed dairy. The company was the first to receive the OPT Grass-Fed Certification and continues to transition dozens of its farm partners to 100% grass-fed each year. Maple Hill Creamery’s cows eat 38lbs of grass per day and live 2-3x longer than most dairy cows. You can feel good purchasing their products in over 6,000 retailers nationwide.

‍