Sadhguru uncovers the connection between dying soil and reduced immunity, and how, unless we take steps now to revive the soil, future pandemics could create even more havoc.
Sadhguru: One fundamental reason why the pandemic has been taking such a toll on us is because the nutrients in the soil are very low. The soil depletion in the United States has led to a 21% percent drop in vitamin A in all the fruits, vegetables, and every other food they grow. There is also a 30% drop in vitamin C, a 37% drop in iron levels, and a 27% drop in calcium levels.
Today, people think it is very healthy to eat salads. But the lettuce, tomatoes, and whatever else you normally put in your salad have 90% less nutrition than they used to have in the early 20th century. You are largely eating water sacks without much nutrients in them. If we had a higher level of nutrition, our ability to counter this virus would have been different because our immunity would have been better. Over six million people have died in the world, unnecessarily.
Studies are showing significant depletion of nutrients in food across the world. It is tragic that people are eating something thinking it is food that nourishes them, but it actually does not do much except filling them up. That is one reason why we have to be particularly concerned about pandemics.
Some of the top virologists in the world say that the current situation may not be the end because the very nature of the coronavirus is such that far more virulent variants can easily develop with a small rejig in the basic structure. That is what every government and every scientist fears, and that should also be a matter of concern for every citizen. In all this, the quality of the soil has a significant role.
It is a well-established fact that if the food you eat does not have the necessary vitamins and minerals, you become far more susceptible to respiratory infections. That is a serious condition right now because 90% of Americans are deficient in vitamin E, and 43% are deficient in vitamin A. When there is not enough vitamin A, the mucous membrane loses its integrity, and that is a sure way for any respiratory infection to have serious implications.
This is significant because COVID-19 is essentially a respiratory tract infection, which can go into various kinds of complexities later. Some 39% of the United States citizens are deficient in vitamin C, which is very vital for the antibody production. This is not going to get fixed by taking more pills. Our food should have it. Scientists are saying that you would need to eat eight of today’s oranges to get the same nutrition that one orange had in the 1930s. Eating eight oranges a day is not an option for most human beings.
Considering all this, the state of our soil is an unfolding disaster for everyone. If we do not take action to fix it for another 25 to 40 years, recovering the soil after that would take anywhere between 150 to 200 years. If we change the policies now and begin to act in the next 10 to 15 years, we can turn this situation around in 25 years’ time. I feel this is a fundamental responsibility we owe to ourselves and to future generations on this planet.
