Can healthier soil make food more nutritious? Yes, but…

Can healthier soil make food more nutritious? Yes, but…

Author: QuickAndDirtyTips.com, Monica Reinagel October 29, 2025 Duration: 19:36

837. Regenerative farming focuses on improving the health of the soil. How does this translate into improved human health? It’s a bit more complex than you might think.

Resources:

Soil Health Academy 

Regenerative Farmers of America

Find regenerative farms near you

References:

Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999 - PubMed

Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence? -  HortScience

Do agronomic approaches aligned to regenerative agriculture improve the micronutrient concentrations of edible portions of crops? - Frontiers in Nutrition

Mineral nutrient composition of vegetables, fruits and grains: The context of reports of apparent historical declines - J Food Comp

Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming - PeerJ

Episodes mentioned in this episode: 

506 - Can eating organic reduce cancer?

58 - Aren’t organic foods healthier?

751 - How to reduce your exposure to pesticides

238 - Have we bred the nutrition out of foods?

727 - Are Fruits and Vegetables Getting Less Nutritious?

Find a full transcript here

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! 

We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Staying Strong as We Age, Diabetes, Weight Loss That Lasts and Gut Health! Also, find a playlist of our bone health series, Stronger Bones at Every Age

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips. 

Find out about Monica's keynotes and other programs at WellnessWorksHere.com

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.  


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


You're probably tired of the constant noise around what to eat, with every headline seeming to contradict the last. Nutrition Diva cuts through that confusion. Hosted by Monica Reinagel, a seasoned expert from QuickAndDirtyTips.com, this weekly conversation feels like getting clear, practical advice from a trusted friend who actually understands the science. Instead of pushing fads, Monica takes the latest nutrition research and unpacks it in a way that makes sense for real life, separating the solid findings from the hype. She directly tackles the questions that pop up in your own kitchen, whether you're wondering about a new superfood or just trying to pack a better lunch. The goal isn't perfection, but building a sensible, sustainable approach to food that leaves you feeling informed and in control. Tuning into this podcast means replacing anxiety with actionable knowledge, so you can make choices that are right for you without the dogma. It's a grounded resource for anyone who wants to think about health and eating well, but could do without the extreme diets and scare tactics.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Nutrition Diva
Podcast Episodes
IV drip bars: What you really get for $300 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:36
842. With holiday indulgence season approaching, IV drip lounges promise to “undo” the damage—but do they deliver?References:To IV or Not to IV: The Science Behind Intravenous Vitamin Therapy - PMCState Policies and Faci…
How long does caffeine really stay in your system? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:29
There’s definitely a lot of individual variation. But knowing the half-life of caffeine is useful…especially if you actually understand what the half-life of a substance actually means.Related episodes:#620: Is coffee go…
When “healthy eating” means eating more [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:43
840. Eating healthy is usually understood to mean eating less. So, what happens when you actually need to eat more—and everything you’ve learned about ‘good choices’ suddenly works against you?Related episodes:702, Nutri…
Getting the lead out (of your protein shake) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:02
839. Lots of us rely on powders and shakes to meet our protein goals. A new report suggests that this could be exposing us to “concerning” levels of lead.Resources:Protein intake calculatorFDA Resource on Lead in FoodNew…
Touching GRAS: What ‘generally recognized as safe’ really means [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:27
838. Are manufacturers using a regulatory loophole to sneak untested chemicals into our food? In this episode, we break down what GRAS really means, why it exists, and how the process works. Resources:GRAS databaseDataba…
This is your brain on blueberries (Reissue) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:38
673. Can daily blueberry consumption actually improve your brain health? A 2022 study finds that daily blueberry consumption may help improve your cognitive abilities. But the researchers left one important question unan…
Is beef tallow a healthy fat? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:38
836. Fast-food chains are frying their French fries in beef tallow instead of vegetable oil. Is this actually a healthier choice—or just clever marketing? Episodes mentioned in this episode: 185: Does the Ratio of Omega…
Does Time-Restricted Eating increase heart risk? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:15
835. A new study suggests that a short eating window more than doubles your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. But is that really what the data shows?References:Association of eating duration less than 8 h with a…
The Truth About ‘Cortisol Belly’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:30
834. Is stress really to blame for stubborn belly fat—or is this just the latest internet hype? Let’s look at the science behind cortisol, belly fat, and what truly works.References Effects of Withania somnifera on Corti…
Can an estrogen-lowering diet make men more manly? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:51
833. From broccoli to red wine, certain foods are promoted as natural estrogen blockers. Is there any science to support the claims?References Aromatase Inhibitors Plus Weight Loss Improves the Hormonal Profile of Obese…