Understanding Why Plants Are So Important for Our Health

The Importance of Understanding

In my younger years—and I am now 86—I learned a very important lesson: the importance of understanding.

My area of speciality was computational fluid flow. I wrote computer simulations of flow in pipes and could use them to run thousands of tests for next to nothing, allowing me to develop a genuine understanding of how these systems worked.

What I learned created a paradigm shift that changed an industry.

The conventional wisdom at the time was that if you wanted to increase flow, you should use a bigger pipe. It seemed obvious—but it was wrong.

I discovered that there is an optimum size for the pipe: what I called the Goldilocks size. Not too big and not too small—just right.

This created a furore in the industry. Many experts told me I was an idiot for suggesting that using a smaller pipe could improve filling—and yes, it did sound crazy.

Some people may not have believed me, but they were flexible enough in their thinking to say, “Let us conduct a trial and find out whether this idea really works.”

They set up their trials, and sure enough, it worked. The results proved the principle, and the paradigm shift followed.

Why This Became Personal

Let me share some personal information that I would not normally disclose.

My first wife died from a diabetic complication. My second wife, who is a qualified medical doctor and surgeon, also developed diabetes. Her foot turned black, and our medical advisers recommended amputating it.

You will understand that this was extremely traumatic for us both.

I read the scientific studies about plant-based diets, and we changed the way we ate. I am pleased to say that she still has both her feet.

It worked remarkably well, but I had no idea why eating Winter Melon, Broccoli sprouts, Passion fruit and other plants helped save her foot.

I therefore made it my purpose in life to understand why plants can be so beneficial for our health.

I knew the importance of understanding, so I made it my mission to investigate how a plant-based diet could improve health.

What I discovered often defied conventional wisdom and, at first, seemed ridiculous.

The Goldilocks Principle for Plant Nutrition

It seems obvious that we should apply fertilisers to plants so they grow as quickly as possible. How could that possibly be wrong?

But look at what happens when we develop a deeper understanding.

If there is a shortage of nutrients in the soil—like a pipe that is too small—the plants do not grow well.

If plants receive an abundance of nutrients from soluble fertilisers, they may explode in a flurry of growth. Surely that must be good?

But what happens if, instead of relying on expensive and increasingly scarce soluble fertilisers, we apply volcanic rock dust, which is inexpensive and available in enormous quantities?

The plants become short of readily available nutrients, so they respond by releasing some of the sugars produced through photosynthesis from their roots. These sugars attract and feed beneficial soil microbes.

The microbes help break down insoluble rocks, making nutrients bioavailable to the plants.

The plants can still grow well, but there may also be a hidden benefit. Some of these microbes enter the plants. When we eat those plants, the microbes may help enhance our gut biota.

These microbes display what we call crowd intelligence. They may help regulate our bodies so that we naturally want to eat the right amount of the right foods.

This is not about relying on harsh, self-imposed discipline. It is about naturally wanting to eat well.

Nor is it about starving plants or completely satisfying every need. It is about following the Goldilocks principle:

Not too much and not too little—just right.

Can Plant Pests Have a Purpose?

Consider another example: pests.

It seems obvious that pests are bad and should be eliminated at all costs. But is that always true?

Plants are masters of chemistry. They have to be because they cannot run away from predators. Instead, plants produce natural chemical compounds to deter pests.

In the right amounts, some of these compounds can be highly beneficial for our health.

Once again, the principle is not too little and not too much. It is the Goldilocks amount—just right.

Building a Healthier Food System

This is not a small issue. Producing healthy food for everyone is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity.

With climate change, soil degradation and the depletion of conventional fertiliser supplies, we are heading towards a serious food crisis.

If you do not believe me, look at the escalating price of fresh fruit and vegetables.

I cannot change the food system by myself.

That is what the Gbiota Club is all about. It is a place where we can continue developing our understanding of how a plant-based diet works, where people can test and verify these ideas independently of me and, above all, where we can build a social movement to help secure our future food supply.