Recent research has made it abundantly clear that humanity’s polluting ways have negatively affected the air and water on which we depend.
Heavy metals, metalloids, and pesticides may produce oxidative stress, which is recognized as a trigger for a range of non-communicable diseases.
Metals such as cadmium and lead, in addition to metalloids such as arsenic, are linked to cardiovascular disease.
The paper focuses specifically on the link between pollutants in our soil and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“In recent years, air pollution has received significant attention as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” Mt. Sinai cardiologist Dr. Michael Hadley, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today.
“By highlighting the critical threat of soil and water contamination, this article helps us broaden our attention to pollution in general,” he said.
Dr. Monica Aggarwal, of the University of Florida Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, who was also not involved in the paper, agreed. She explained to MNT how we may often forget to think about the soil in which our foods are grown:
“I think that we as a society look at food as a point in time. We see the food in the grocery store, then we buy that food to nourish our bodies, and we will be healthy. Right? What we have forgotten is that food is more than one point in time and there are many elements that go into good growth.”
“This article reminds us that food needs healthy soil, clean air, biodiversity, and clean water to grow,” she stressed.
Hannah Shayler, of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the Cornell Waste Management Institute, told MNT: “Environmental health — and particularly soil health — is intricately linked to human health. By building healthier, more sustainable, nutrient-rich, less-polluted soils, we can reduce the harmful health effects of soil toxins and contaminants.”