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Rutgers-led research finds bee decline threatens crop yields
Declining bee populations could lead to increased food insecurity and economic losses in the billions.
03 August, 2020
(Photo: Sarah Dickinson)
<ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
<p>Bees have endured a disastrous half-century. In the winter of 2018, <a href="https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/bee-colonies-death?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">U.S. beekeepers reported losing 37.7 percent</a> of their honeybee colonies. It was the largest die-off reported since <a href="https://beeinformed.org/results/2018-2019/" target="_blank">the Bee Informed Partnership</a> began its survey in 2006, yet in that decade, average <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/88117/err-246.pdf?v=43186" target="_blank">winter losses of managed colonies</a> were 28.7 percent. That's near twice the historic rate and part of a 50-year trend of <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6229/1255957" target="_blank">declining species richness in wild bees</a> and other pollinators.</p><p>That's bad news for the bees and also anyone who depends on the food generated through their labor. That is, all of us. <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/" target="_blank">According to the USDA</a>, approximately 35 percent of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce, with some scientists estimating that "one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of animal pollinators."</p><p>That many crops depend on pollination to reproduce is well-established; however, how much pollination proves a limiting factor to crop yield is less understood. If wild bee and managed honeybee populations continue to decline, will the amount of food available to feed us decline, too? That's the question a Rutgers-led team of researchers sought to answer.</p>
From bee to farm to table
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUyOTUzOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzM3MDkwNH0.coXBXgDBoRvXaZYIgKaH9fH_jhlUKp3O22-h2rY8jMQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="a317b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bd61c660c9d52353ba975145fab59625" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A bar graph showing the percentage of pollination limitation for the seven crops studied.
<p>The research team selected seven crops to study: apples, almonds, pumpkins, watermelons, sweet cherries, tart cherries, and highbush blueberries. These were chosen because each is highly dependent on insect pollination for reproduction. The researchers then established a nationwide study across 131 U.S. and British Columbia farms. They selected only commercial farms in top-producing states—for example, Michigan and Oregon farms for <a href="https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/blueberries#:~:text=Michigan%20was%20the%20nation's%20leading,Washington%2C%20Oregon%2C%20and%20Georgia." target="_blank">blueberries</a>. This way, their sample would represent the conditions and farming practices in which a majority of these crops are grown.</p><p>After collecting data on pollinator visitation rates and crop production, the researchers measured the data through three statistical models. They also analyzed the contribution differences between wild bees and managed honeybees as well as the economic value of the bees' service. </p><p>"We found that many crops are pollination-limited, meaning crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination. We also found that honey bees and wild bees provided similar amounts of pollination overall," <a href="https://deenr.rutgers.edu/faculty/Rachael_Winfree.html" target="_blank">Rachael Winfree</a>, a professor in the <a href="https://deenr.rutgers.edu/" target="_blank">Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources</a> at <a href="https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/" target="_blank">Rutgers University-New Brunswick</a> and the study's senior author, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/ru-dob072820.php" target="_blank">said in a release</a>. "Managing habitat for native bee species [and] stocking more honey bees would boost pollination levels and could increase crop production."</p><p>Of the crops studied, apples, blueberries, sweet cherries, and tart cherries were hit hardest when pollination decreased. Watermelon and pumpkin yields weren't as limited by pollinators, possibly because these crops sport fewer blooms and flower in summer when the weather is less inclement. Almonds proved the outlier as the crop is the earliest bloomer yet not pollination limited. The researchers speculate that this is due to the almond <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/07/honeybees-deaths-almonds-hives-aoe" target="_blank">industry's intense reliance on managed honeybees</a>. </p><p>"Our findings show that pollinator declines could translate directly into decreased yields or production for most of the crops studied, and that wild species contribute substantially to pollination of most study crops in major crop-producing regions," the researchers write.</p><p>For the seven crops studied, the researchers estimate the annual production value of pollinators to be more than $1.5 billion. They also found that wild bee species provided comparable pollination, even for crops in agriculturally intensive regions.</p><p>Their findings were published in the most recent <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.0922" target="_blank">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.</p>Ecological and edible incentives
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUyOTUzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTM4NzQwMX0.vclSktT0d_Mvns_QTZ7ZkFT_pWgIIpyb6ZNP1Tla2Qs/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C215%2C0%2C216&height=700" id="93d5d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b1e5b70e616daf5fcc0a63a041675e7a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="hand holding dead bees" />A protester shows a handful of bees that died by pesticides. The protest was held during the Bayer AG shareholder meeting in 2019.
(PhooMaja Hitiji/Getty Images)
<p>The concern extends beyond these seven. Crops such as coffee, avocados, lemons, limes, and oranges are also highly dependent on pollinators and may prove pollination limited. If declining bee populations are tied to such yields, it could mean barer supermarket shelves and increased prices. While that may only be an annoyance to some, to poor and vulnerable communities who already struggle to secure <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2011/december/data-feature-mapping-food-deserts-in-the-us/" target="_blank">salubrious, affordable food</a>, such a deficit would present another barrier to the vital micronutrients necessary for a healthy life and diet.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/54228/1/Science_1255957_Goulson_RV_revised_CA_edited.pdf" target="_blank">the threats to bees are numerous</a>. Parasites, agrochemicals, monoculture farming, and habitat degradation all play a role, and neither stressor works in isolation. Sublethal exposure to neonicotinoids, an insecticide, can cause <a href="https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/baby-bees-and-pesticides" target="_self">impairments in bees</a>, while monoculture farming serves up a monotonous and unhealthy floral buffet. Both impede bees' immune systems, rendering them vulnerable to parasites such as <a href="http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/bees/varroa_mite.htm" target="_blank"><em>Varroa destructor</em></a>, a mite that can transmit debilitating viruses as it feeds on bees' fat bodies. And all of these stressors will likely be inflamed by climate change in the years to come. </p><p>Some have proffered mechanical solutions, such as Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology where technicians are developing <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2120832-robotic-bee-could-help-pollinate-crops-as-real-bees-decline/" target="_blank">robotic bees</a>. These micro-drones are covered in gelled horsehair and have successfully cross-pollinated Japanese lilies. Other experiments include <a href="https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/orchards_nuts_vines/pollen-spray-could-replace-honeybees/article_f9a1c102-d5b3-519d-9dab-b0c44cfb99c5.html" target="_blank">pollen sprays</a>. However, the large-scale viability of tech-centric solutions seems questionable. After all, wild bees currently perform their ecological services pro bono and are as effective as managed honeybees. Any technological solution implemented in their absence would add to the agricultural costs and likely increase prices anyway.</p><p>Ecological amelioration will be necessary. To combat habitat fragmentation and strengthen biodiversity, many cities are implementing green-way strategies. For example, the Dutch city of Utrecht has decked its bus stop roofs with plants and grasses to <a href="https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/urban-bees?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">create bee and butterfly shelters</a>, while other cities are looking to foster <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2020/0731/Can-roadsides-offer-a-beeline-for-pollinators" target="_blank">bee-friend roadsides</a>. And <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/2015/CRPProgramsandInitiatives/Honey_Bee_Habitat_Initiative.pdf" target="_blank">government initiatives</a> incentivize farmers and landowners to adopt bee-friendly management practices. These solutions aren't only a matter of ecological conservation but also food security and public health.</p>
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New research shows that a 'cheat day' might not be that bad
The study was only conducted with already healthy men, however.
29 July, 2020
Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
- A new study at the University of Bath found that binge eating on occasion doesn't have major metabolic consequences.
- 14 healthy young men were instructed to eat pizza until full or to keep going until they couldn't eat another bite.
- Their blood sugar levels were similar to having eaten normally and blood lipids levels were only slightly higher than normal.
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<p>The eternal diet dilemma: to have a cheat day or to never indulge?</p><p>Researchers at the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism at the University of Bath wanted to understand the effects of overeating, given the prevalence of obesity in the Western world. They asked 14 men to eat pizza—or, as they wonderfully phrased it, a "homogenous mixed-macronutrient meal." Some of the volunteers ate <em>a lot</em> of pizza. </p><p>That was the point. The men, all between the ages of 22 and 37, were either told to eat until full or to keep going until they couldn't possibly eat another bite. The results of <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/physiological-responses-to-maximal-eating-in-men/25C29D75CB1553B9D3D23E276295A4D8" target="_blank">this study</a> were published in the British Journal of Nutrition. </p><p>Despite some men eating up to two-and-a-half pizzas in one sitting (roughly 5,000 calories), their metabolism didn't change much. Their blood sugar levels were similar to having eaten a normal meal; their blood lipids levels were only slightly higher. All of this was a surprise to the researchers. </p><p>Not that all went swimmingly. Blood insulin was 50 percent higher and the signaling hormones that scream "hey, stop eating," were altered. Waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter increased in the overeating group, though for how long is not known. </p><p>The researchers noticed that, despite the prevalence of obesity, "no study has ever examined the metabolic response to eating beyond feeling comfortably full in a single eating occasion." They pulled from a few studies that detail the effects of overeating, yet those focus on weight gain, not metabolic changes. </p>
Marion Nestle: Why Do We Overeat?
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8a4fbcf29b074691a19c6b391813e48f"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qn8XjZQa5-0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Lead researcher Aaron Hengist <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/all-you-can-eat-pizza-study-shows-body-copes-surprisingly-well-with-one-off-calorie-indulgence/" target="_blank">says</a> the results showed the resilience of our body during times of excess.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Our findings show that the body actually copes remarkably well when faced with a massive and sudden calorie excess. Healthy humans can eat twice as much as 'full' and deal effectively with this huge initial energy surplus."</p><p>Of course, these were all young, healthy men, which will skew the outcome. Still, they expected more of a metabolic impact. </p><p>The researchers also focused on mood. Four hours after eating maximally, overeaters had no desire to eat sweet foods. This contradicts previous research that shows the brain's reward centers are food-specific—pizza shouldn't change cravings for sweets. The overeating groups also felt lethargic after their binge, which is to be expected. </p><p>The researchers are not giving a pass for overeating. Caloric intake remains the main driver of obesity. Signaling hormones are altered with continued overeating, making it difficult for the obese to know when to stop. Regular overeating changes body composition, metabolic rates, and mood. </p><p>In the past, humans had to stock up on food when they found it while hunting and foraging. We are equipped to handle the occasional caloric overload. James Betts, who was also involved in the study, says that an occasional binge for healthy people is not necessarily a bad thing. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"This study shows that if an otherwise healthy person overindulges occasionally, for example eating a large buffet meal or Christmas lunch, then there are no immediate negative consequences in terms of losing metabolic control."</p><p>Acknowledging the study's limitations of age, health, and gender of participants, the researchers are planning on investigating the metabolic and mood effects of operating on women, obese volunteers, and the elderly. </p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://derekberes.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a>. His next book is</em> "<em>Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."</em></p>
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Now you can track vitamin C intake on your skin
A new wearable patch has been created at the University of California San Diego.
22 May, 2020
Photo by Gianrigo Marletta / AFP via Getty Images
- A team at the University of California San Diego has developed a non-invasive skin patch that measures your vitamin C levels.
- An electrode sensor measures vitamin C in your sweat.
- The researchers hope this leads to the development of multivitamin patches that track nutritional deficiencies.
<p>Vitamin C has long been one of the most discussed and debated vitamins. The curative effects of citrus on scurvy were known to 15<sup>th</sup> century explorers Vasco de Gama and Pedro Alvares Cabral. Royal Navy surgeon James Lind performed one of the first controlled trials in history in 1747, solidifying vitamin C's role in medicine. Soon after all crewmen received lemon juice while at sea. </p><p>As with every medicine, disentangling efficacy from hype is challenging. Two-time Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling went overboard in his fanaticism for vitamin C, popping pills like Silicon Valley elites ingest resveratrol. While Pauling's theories about megavitamin doses remain controversial today, there is no denying the necessity of regular vitamin C intake. </p><p>Vitamin C is making headlines during the pandemic. Some believe high doses of intravenous vitamin C help patients with COVID-19 recover faster, yet at the moment <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/treatments-for-covid-19" target="_blank">there is no proof</a>. A <a href="https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-020-02851-4" target="_blank">clinical study in China</a> is underway to test its efficacy in treating this novel coronavirus. Megadoses <a href="https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(16)62564-3/fulltext" target="_blank">have been shown</a> to help patients dealing with sepsis. <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2752063" target="_blank">Recent research</a> showed positive results when using vitamin C to treat sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). There is precedent, but not a definitive answer. </p><p>Tracking vitamin C is important for some conditions. Being one of the most discussed essential vitamins, researchers at the University of California San Diego developed a wearable <a href="http://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=3034" target="_blank">non-invasive vitamin C sensor</a> similar to those used to track physical activity in fitness enthusiasts and blood sugar in diabetic patients.</p>
No, Vitamin C won't cure your cold
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="686c485816ed1e51b96f906837934bcc"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/smQC3CXalVg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Julian Sempionatto, first author of a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssensors.0c00604" target="_blank">study</a> regarding this sensor, remarks, "This is the first demonstration of using an enzyme-based approach to track changes in the level of a necessary vitamin, and opens a new frontier in the wearable device arena."</p><p>The design is simple: an adhesive patch stimulates sweating. An electrode sensor measures vitamin C levels in your sweat. According to research on four human subjects who had taken vitamin C supplements or drank fruit juices, the sensor is highly sensitive. It detects small changes in vitamin levels over the course of two hours. The same sensor could also detect changes in tears and saliva. </p><p>Sempionatto believes the biomedical wearables industry is just beginning. He envisions a multivitamin patch in the near future. The study was conducted in Joseph Wang's lab at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Wang believes this is an important development in nutrition and health.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"I hope that the new epidermal patch will facilitate the use of wearable sensors for non-invasive nutrition status assessments and tracking of nutrient uptake toward detecting and correcting nutritional deficiencies, assessing adherence to vitamin intake, and supporting dietary behavior change."</p><p><span></span>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://derekberes.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a>. His next book is</em> "Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."</p>
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These simple habits can optimize your gut and brain bacteria
What you eat — and when — can make you superhuman.
27 July, 2019
- The importance of the microbiome has really come to the fore in the last five years. Viome, a company that analyzed the feces of 100,000 people, has discovered 10,000 new types of gut bacteria.
- Additionally, Improved imaging technology led scientists to discover you don't have just one microbiome, you have two. The second one is in your brain, populated by the same bacteria that live in your gut.
- Simple habits can foster healthy gut and brain bacteria, which can help you live longer and age more slowly. Eat mostly vegetables, take fiber and prebiotics, and practice intermittent fasting, says Dave Asprey.
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The first list of antidepressant foods restructures the "standard" American diet
The first list of antidepressant food scores restructures the "standard" American diet.
03 December, 2018
- Leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and oysters top the list of depression-fighting foods.
- Organ meats are also near the top of nutrient-dense food sources that should be included in your diet.
- Researchers focus more on what to eat rather than what to remove from the standard diet.
</li></ul>
<p>Michael Pollan was onto something when he added two words to conventional wisdom, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Defense-Food-Michael-Pollan/dp/1594133328" target="_blank">writing</a>, "You are what what you eat eats." The nutrients your meal consumes becomes part of you as well, whether it's a cow munching on grass or the soil your vegetables grow in. We know eating has an emotional effect, but you cannot separate emotions from psychology as they are the basis of your mental states.</p><p>We can extrapolate philosophically, but we can also look at actual studies on the nutrient profile of foods and their relationship to mental states—specifically, in this case, depressive disorders. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6147775/" target="_blank">recent study</a>, published in <em>World Journal of Psychiatry</em>, investigated 34 nutrients, extracting data as it relates to foods high in at least one of 12 antidepressant nutrients: </p><ul><li>Folate</li><li>Iron</li><li>Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA)</li><li>Magnesium</li><li>Potassium</li><li>Selenium</li><li>Thiamine</li><li>Vitamin A</li><li>Vitamin B6</li><li>Vitamin B12</li><li>Vitamin C</li><li>Zinc</li></ul>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b993d31b79e4c2e14a4141e8af79e440"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/na1gn5bHRCY?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Conducted by Laura R LaChance, in the University of Toronto's psychiatry department, and <a href="https://bigthink.com/community/drew-ramsey" target="_blank">Drew Ramsey</a>, in Columbia's psychiatry department, this team believes this study to be the first to specifically focus on the application of nutrients to depression. They continue:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">While many nutrient profiling scales currently exist, created by government agencies, researchers, and the food industry, none focus on mental disorders or brain health. Additionally, no scale is based on nutrients that are supported by scientific literature to be involved in the prevention of and recovery from psychiatric disorders. </p><p>There is evidence that the lack of key nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D, result in depressive symptoms. In fact, clinical treatment often involves supplementing one or more of these nutrients. The fact that we can get plenty of vitamin D with just a few minutes in the sun is one indicator that our lifestyle patterns are missing essential components for optimal health. </p><p>Given the global rise of depression, changes in diet provide at least one level of prevention and therapy—it is unlikely that diet alone could cause such a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/major-depression-rise-among-everyone-new-data-shows-n873146" target="_blank">spike in rates</a>, though it certainly can play an important contributing factor. Something as simple as altering your food intake could help battle the consequences of these symptoms: low self-esteem, loss of meaning, anxiety, spoiled relationships, and at the extreme, suicide, whose rates have <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/11/29/18118601/suicide-rate-highest-decades-life-expectancy" target="_blank">also been increasing</a>. </p><p>The foods, along with their Antidepressant Food Score (AFS), are listed below: </p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk1NDI0My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMjM0NjAwOH0.ebfXXEawal7Df-9LE4zoj4r5zD9tiTJgAQjFOUU-O8E/img.png?width=980" id="1833d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="419256dd374f260f2e2cf53fe6db58b6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>According to the mean score by category, vegetables top the list at 48 percent, followed by organ meats (25 percent), fruits (20 percent), and seafood (16 percent). The list concludes with legumes, meats, grains, nuts and seeds, and dairy, all coming in below 10 percent. Unlike traditional guidelines, this list does not focus on <em>what not to eat</em>:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">A recent review suggests that nutrient profiling scales designed to improve consumer food choices should be based on nutrients known to be beneficial for health as opposed to nutrients to avoid.</p><p>They note that recent "common wisdom" suggesting that saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium is bad for health is now in question. Whereas it's rather obvious that carb- and sugar-heavy diets do not work in our favor, the aim of this study is to remind us what we should be putting into our mouths. Without actionable input, telling us to leave certain foods behind without offering replacements makes little sense. </p><p>The main problem is that the majority of Americans do not eat foods high in AFS. For example, most of the adult population consumes too few vegetables; <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17363889" target="_blank">one study</a> reveals that only 27.2 percent eat three or more servings per day. Between 80-90 percent do not eat at least two servings of seafood per week. And forget about most Americans <a href="https://furthermore.equinox.com/articles/2017/01/my-body-experiment-derek-beres" target="_blank">eating organ meats</a>. </p><p>Which is a shame, given that organ meats are the most nutrient-dense part of an animal. Whereas there is evidence our ancestors ate the organs and left the meat for scavengers, we've reversed that trend—and are paying the cost. </p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e4642836ead44679285a8ba57aa145ff"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPG_uN1CeHk?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>There is no single food source that will end depression. Rather, the authors write, it seems to be a confluence of events that have led to our abandoning essential nutrients, including increased inflammation due to the "standard" American diet and a lack of dietary fiber. With an increased understanding of the microbiome in overall health, we're gaining clarity over just how influential nutrients are for every aspect of our health. </p><p>As nutritionist Chris Kresser <a href="https://chriskresser.com/why-you-should-think-twice-about-vegetarian-and-vegan-diets/" target="_blank">wrote in 2011</a>, purely vegetarian and vegan diets are problematic given the lack of essential nutrients, such as those cited in the above study. When <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_2vNj8pshY" target="_blank">asked by Joe Rogan</a> what he thought the healthiest diet is, Kresser replied a vegan diet with shellfish; he's also championed organ meats. Of course, a vegan diet could by default not include animal products, but Kresser's suggestion squares well with this recent research.</p><p>There is no question that these food sources provide the most nutrient-dense meals possible. Cultural aversions to organ meats is more the result of economics, not nutrition; at some point, eating organs was believed to be "lower class." That, along with technological advancements such as frozen food that is usually championed as progressive, has set into motion the disastrous eating habits we have today, along with the depression that has followed. The link is clear. Forging new links requires another story.</p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</em></p>
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