Caetana Varela-Hall
The present study addresses the importance of including wild edibles into our daily diets. Wild plants grow easily and perfectly adapted to the climate and soil thus not needing agricultural efforts, watering nor pesticide help for growing and propagating. The benefits are not only their low environmental impact and agricultural cost but also their high nutritional and medicinal value, known since old times as part of cultural heritage in the region where they grow. These wild foods include fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables, roots, mushrooms, etc. Highly nutrient-dense compared to cultivated varieties in part due to their natural survival mechanisms and perennial characteristics, they are rich in fiber and this implies a need of smaller quantities of food and less calorie intake, benefiting the digestive system, fighting malnutrition in developing countries and metabolic syndrome in developed countries, as well as less use of resources for the planet. Their high medicinal value and the fact that they are not so widely cultivated thus needing foraging, adds to the “slow food” movement and back-to-nature state contributing to the health of its consumers. For those who fight poverty these weeds bring high profit as they are wild in the fields in every region. Knowledge is required for identification of plants and safety precautions are advised regarding contamination of certain soils, although studies have shown that with proper rinsing any heavy metals are removed, similarly as with pesticides in cultivated species.
