Plant Nutrients

The Importance of Plant Nutrients in Relation to Medicinal Value

The Importance of Plant Nutrients

Plants manufacture their own organic constituents that they obtain from soil, water, air, and sunlight through photosynthesis. There are sixteen nutrients that are considered essential for all plants. Of these sixteen, seven are micronutrients. The major essential elements for plant nutrition are hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur. The micronutrients that plants require are chlorine, iron, boron, manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum (Wittler, 2002). To be considered essential, elements must meet very specific criteria. The element must be necessary for plant development, no other element can potentially substitute the element, and the element must play an important role in metabolism within the plant. These nutrients have various roles including structural and metabolic components, playing a role in activating enzymes and are also vital for osmosis.

According to research performed by the Department of Plant Science at the University of California in 2022, the current definition of a plant nutrient is too narrow (Brown, 2022). Researchers have established that there has been an evolution in the understanding of nutrients and advances in agricultural practices since the widely accepted definition was proposed in 1939. These researchers have performed studies aimed at evolving the definition to advance science and innovation in plant nutrition. The current definition only includes nutrients that are vital for the completion of the lifecycle, and exclude nutrients that enhance growth, improve efficacy of the utilization of nutrients, water, and other resources. It also excludes nutrients that may support stress tolerance and improve the nutritional value of the harvested material.

Nutrient Concentration impacts concentration of harvested material

Nutrient concentration of plants is not only important for the growth and  lifecycle of the plant, but also impacts nutrient concentration of the harvested material. Factors that can affect nutrient concentrations are CO2, soil pH and type, water stress, and sunlight (Duval, 2012). Having proper pH can help ensure proper nutrient uptake by plants. The soil composition including its texture, organic matter content, and nutrient levels can also play a role in the concentration of nutrients in plants. Adequate water supply is vital for nutrient uptake. Water stress can impact the ability of plants to absorb nutrients. Other factors that may play a role in nutrient concentrations are competition with neighboring plants for nutrients, soil drainage, and temperature, which can impact metabolism and absorption.

Plants obtain nutrients through the air, water, roots, and the soil. Through their leaves and the process of photosynthesis, plants intake carbon dioxide gas from the air and convert it into glucose which acts as a source of energy for growth and development (Audesirk, 2020). Plants obtain nutrients through their roots and the soil through a process known as mineral nutrient uptake. Root hairs absorb water and dissolved mineral nutrients from the soil through a process called active transport. There are also symbiotic relationships that help plants absorb nutrients like nutrient exchange with various other bacteria, microorganisms, and fungi.

How does this relate to plant medicine?

Understanding the nutrients found in plants and their relationship to plant medicine is important for herbalists and alternative medicine practitioners.  Plant health and nutrition can affect active compound concentrations and therapeutic efficacy. Nutrition and plant health affect not only yield amounts but also the quality and potency of volatile compounds. Bioactive compounds found in plants such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes and phenolic compounds are synthesized from essential nutrients absorbed by the plant from the soil. These compounds have pharmacological properties that make them useful for medicinal purposes such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activities. Optimal nutrient levels can enhance the medicinal properties of the plants.  To ensure consistency in efficacy and potency of the medicinal product, stabilization of plant compounds is crucial. Proper stabilization techniques through creating consistency in growing conditions and extraction methods will ensure that the desired therapeutic effects are maintained.

Herbalists and herb growers must select, cultivate, and utilize plants for optimal use in herbal medicine. The nutritional quality and composition of plants directly affects their medicinal value. Plants grown in proper conditions with nutrient rich soil tend to have higher concentrations of bioactive compounds and essential nutrients, which ultimately makes them more potent for medicinal use.

Potency is not just about the plant itself, but about the living system that supports it

Indigenous peoples have long understood that plants carry their greatest strength and nourishment when they are grown in their natural habitats, in right relationship with the land, the soil, the climate, and the surrounding ecosystem. Traditional plant knowledge recognized that a plant’s medicine is shaped by where it grows, how it interacts with minerals in the soil, seasonal rhythms, water sources, and even neighboring plants. Today, modern research continues to affirm this wisdom, showing that environmental factors such as soil quality, biodiversity, and regional climate directly influence a plant’s nutrient density, phytochemical profile, and overall vitality. When plants are cultivated or wildcrafted within their native ecosystems, they tend to express a more balanced and complete spectrum of nutrients and active compounds, reflecting a deep ecological alignment that Indigenous knowledge has honored for generations. This continuity between ancestral wisdom and modern science reminds us that potency is not just about the plant itself, but about the living system that supports it.

Plant nutrients play a vital role in holistic medicine applications, as they provide the essential foundations for the body to maintain health and function optimally. Many plants are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients are of crucial importance to help support the overall well-being of the human body. By growing, harvesting, cultivating, and creating plant medicine with plants that are grown with proper conditions and nutrients, we can increase the potency of medicinal value and create a stabilization in quantities of active compounds.

References:

Audesirk, T., Audesirk, G., & Byers, B. E. (2020). Biology: life on earth. Pearson.

Brown, P. H., Zhao, F., & Dobermann, A. (2022). What is a plant nutrient? Changing

definitions to advance science and innovation in plant nutrition. Plant and

Soil, 476(1-2), 11-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05171-w

Duval, B. D., Blankinship, J. C., Dijkstra, P., & Hungate, B. A. (2012). CO2 effects on

plant nutrient concentration depend on plant functional group and available

nitrogen: a meta-analysis. Plant Ecology, 213(3), 505-521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-011-9998-8

Mofokeng, M. M., du Ploov, C.,P., Araya, H. T., Amoo, S. O., Mokgehle, S. N., Pofu, K.

M., & Mashela, P. W. (2022). Medicinal plant cultivation for sustainable use and commercialisation of high-value crops. South African Journal of Science, 118(7), 22-28. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2022/12190

Naeem, M., Ansari, A. A., & Gill, S. S. (Eds.). (2017). Essential plant nutrients :

Uptake, use efficiency, and management. Springer International Publishing AG. Chapter 9 page 183

Wittler, G. H. (2002). Plant Nutrition. In R. Robinson (Ed.), Biology (Vol. 3, pp. 214

216). Macmillan Reference USA