As spring unfolds and gardening season kicks into high gear, many of us are excited to dig into our plots, nurturing the plants that feed us and create our oxygen. At PhycoHealth, although we don't sell seaweed for plants directly, we are well aware of and involved in the resesarch of the ancient connections between seaweed, soils, plants and humans. Snacking on our seaweed products while you pour some seaweed extract onto your garden bed, might trigger some nice associations in your mind.
The Rich Tradition of Seaweed in Gardening
Gardeners have long utilized seaweed as a natural fertilizer, enhancing soil fertility and promoting plant growth. Modern scientific evidence supports this ancient wisdom, revealing that seaweed extracts are rich in nutrients, growth hormones, and minerals essential for plant development. For instance, our contributions to research indicate that plants treated with seaweed extracts exhibit an average yield increase of 15-30% and improved drought tolerance by up to 20%. However, these gains might be more to do with the seaweed effect on the soil microbiome than on the plant directly.
The Connection Between Soil and Gut Microbiomes
Soil microbiomes played a crucial role in the development of the human gut microbiome and its immunological resilience. While both ecosystems share similar types of microorganisms, the human gut contains only about 10% of the microbial diversity found in soil. It is easier to study the "External gut" of plant roots than it is to dig into the human gut microbiome, however we keep finding increasing similarities of the roles and functions between them. It is therefore no wonder that the benefits of seaweed in the gut and soil are not too dissimilar to each other.
The true magic of seaweed lies in its complex glycans or fibre, which serves the soil microbiome by providing essential molecular ecosystem for microbial communities to thrive. Imagine plants treated with seaweed extracts exhibiting extraordinary resilience, with studies showing improved root development and greater tolerance to environmental stressors.
These results just scratch the surface of the benefits of integrating seaweed into your gardening routine, and emphasizes the amazing similarities between the human gut and the soil microbiome. Just as our clinical studies have shown that our specific glycan (Seafibre) can nourish our gut microbiome, these same types of compounds significantly enhance soil health when seaweed is added. Both gut and soil microbiomes can enhance the metabolism of their hosts, and are a rontline of defence against pathogens, disease and reglating inflammation.
In addition to glycan fibres like our SeaFibre, seaweed extracts contain essential micronutrients like magnesium, calcium, and iron, which also play vital roles in plant metabolism. So nurturing the soil in your garden and watching your plants thrive is quite a lot like putting seaweed into your diet! And, it can be an indirect way of getting some seaweed nutrition into you as well.
Circular and Regenerative Farming with Seaweed
At PhycoHealth, we also cultivate our seaweed using a circular and regenerative approach that mirrors the practices of traditional gardening. We focus on sourcing regenerated nutrients from food, similar to how gardeners enrich their soil with compost. This process creates a highly filtered "nutrient tea" added to seawater, alongside CO2 from fermentation processes, to regenerate what has been lost from the food system back into complete nutrition through seaweed.
Cultivating a Healthier Future
As you cultivate your garden this spring, remember that nurturing yourself is just as vital as caring for your plants, and that the concepts are not as different as you might have thought. The connection between soil vitality and gut health underscores the importance of sustainable practices that prioritize not just plant growth but the overall health of our ecosystems that we live in and are made up of.
Let’s embrace the beauty of sustainable gardening and acknowledge the powerful role that seaweed plays in creating a thriving environment for both plants and people. Together, we can cultivate a healthier future for our gardens and ourselves.
Try out Gardeners Bundle of goodies for the seaweed there to nuture you!
