Value of traditional foods in meeting macro- and micronutrient needs: the wild plant connection

Abstract

The importance of edible wild plants may be traced to antiquity but systematic studies are recent. Anthropologists, botanists, ecologists, food scientists, geographers, nutritionists, physicians and sociologists have investigated cultural aspects and nutrient composition of edible species. Important contributions to the diet from edible wild plants are well documented and numerous studies reveal roles played by`lesser-known' species when meeting macro-and micronutrient needs of groups at risk, whether infants and children, pregnant and/or lactating women, or the elderly. The literature is vast and scattered but information on the macroand micronutrient content of wild plants and their importance to the human diet appear in ®ve kinds of publications: cultural works by social scientists, descriptions and inventories by botanists, dietary assessment studies by nutritionists, intervention programmes managed by epidemiologists and physicians, and composition data generally conducted by food scientists and chemists. Many macro-and micronutrient-dense wild species deserve greater attention but lack of adequate nutrient databases, whether by region or nation, limit educational efforts to improve diets in many Third World areas. Limited and uneven compositional data generally re¯ect factors of cost and personal interest in key nutrients. Whilst edible wild plants are regularly deprecated by policy makers and considered to be the`weeds of agriculture', it would be tragic if this led to loss of ability to identify and consume these important available species. Ethnobotany: Macronutrients: Micronutrients: Nutritional anthropology: Wild plantsAs there is a plenty of common and French sorrel; lamb's quarters, and water cresses, growing about camp; and as these vegetables are very conducive to health, and tend to prevent the scurvy and all putrid disorders . . . the General recommends to the soldiers the constant use of them, as they make an agreeable salad, and have the most salutary effect. The regimental of®cer of the day [is] to send to gather them every morning, and have them distributed among the men.'Washington (1777)

The Consumption of Wild Edible Plants

“…Grivetti and Ogle (2000) observed that edible wild plants were regular components of the diets of millions of people. Despite the fact that in more recent times human diets have used relatively few plant species, which also encompasses the decline of plant use knowledge, subglobal assessments show that several indigenous and traditional communities currently consume 200 or more species (Grivetti & Ogle 2000;MEA 2005).…”

“…Lack of knowledge and inability to identify plants existing in the wild and available to sustain survival have led to malnutrition and hunger in certain areas of the world (Grivetti & Ogle 2000).…”

“…Grivetti and Ogle (2000) highlight the importance of edible weeds within regional food security, referring to the concept of hidden harvest. Weed species are closely related to crops and agricultural farming systems, and are of nutritional relevance, as reported by several authors (Bye 1981;Maroyi 2013;Molina et al 2014).…”

Forest foods and healthy diets: quantifying the contributions

“…Wild foods can be obtained from forests and other areas of natural diversity or from agricultural land or around the home (Bharucha & Pretty 2010). The consumption of wild foods appears to be common across the world (Scoones et al 1992;Grivetti & Ogle 2000;Bharucha & Pretty 2010) and in certain contexts may provide a significant proportion of fruits, vegetables and animal source foods .…”

Effect of Traditional Pre-Culinary Hot Water Infusion Time on the Micronutrients and Health Protecting Phytochemicals in <i>Heinsia crinite</i> Leaf

“…Human body cannot produce ascorbic acid, so it must be obtained entirely through ones diets. The protective action of fruits and vegetables has been attributed to the presence of anti-oxidants, especially anti-oxidant vitamins including ascorbic acid and beta-carotene [28,29]. Considering the pivotal roles of this water soluble vitamin in human health, minimal infusion time (5 min) should be employed for H. crinita leaf in order to minimize its loss.…”