Title : Soil available nutrients and their relationship with food security and human health
Abstract:
Essential soil elements that end up in the human diet are supplied through food from plants that took the elements up from the soil during growth depend on the soil for their nutritional needs, A major portion of the nutrients needed for human health originate with the soil. Soil affects human health directly through the ingestion, inhalation and absorption of soil or its constituents and indirectly through the quantity and quality of food that is derived from soil-based agriculture. Almost all the essential plant nutrients are critical to the quality of plant-based food, which serves as the main source of dietary intake for human. If the soil is supply adequate amount of nutrients for food, the human health also benefits. Hence, availability of important nutrients such as potassium (K), sulphur(S), iron(Fe) and zinc (Zn) in soil can play a vital role in ensuring food security. Deficiencies of these nutrients (K, S, Fe and Zn) in soils occur widely which in turn have adverse effects on human health. Potassium deficiency in soil results low dietary food intake of potassium by human, causing hypertension in human. Sulphur deficiency soils may result in food insecurity with resultant Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM). Iron deficiency is probably the most common example and may affect as many as 5 billion people, with about 2 billion considered anemic. Zinc deficient soils are widespread and include about half the world’s soils. Calcareous soils and leached, acidic soils are more likely to be Zn deficient. Food security is critical to human health. Food security is achieved when all people have constant access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food that is economically accessible, socially acceptable, and allows for an active and healthy life. The world’s population continues to grow rapidly but large areas of cropland have to be abandoned every year due to soil degradation.
