THE SURPRISING VIRTUES OF WILD FOODS

Photo by Lorenzo Ranuzzi on Unsplash

WEEDS—FRIENDS OR FOES?

The National Weather Service’s daily temperature and precipitation map tells us that rainfall is higher this year. The extra rain is welcome, and my yard’s vibrant green foliage is especially attractive—if you ignore the equally vibrant weeds sharing the ground cover, flower, and vegetable beds. 

While re-homing these weeds to the compost pile, I couldn’t help but notice their impressive talents. They are crafty and resilient; their location broadcasts favorable or unfavorable soil conditions. They can’t easily be pulled when intertwined with desired plants. They seem to develop seeds about five minutes after they germinate, then they trick birds, wind, and pets to transport them around the property. In plant-free areas, where a nature-friendly herbicide could be applied, their thick, furry leaves and deep roots block the herbicide’s absorption and hinder its effectiveness.

“What is a weed?” Emerson asked. “A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” If Ellen DeGeneres could launch her stand-up career with her virtue of fleas routine, I figured I could find virtue in weeds that would be helpful in my work. Fortunately my instincts were correct.

BY EATING WEEDS, OUR ANCESTORS GREW STRONG

Ten thousand years ago, wild carrots, berry bushes, onions, groundnuts, seeds of wild grasses and legumes, dandelions, chickweed, lamb’s quarters (quinoa’s source), and other wild greens fed and nourished our hunter-gatherer ancestors. The wild, edible plants—some of which we now consider weeds—could grow in harsh conditions, demonstrating their hardiness and resilience. 

These wild plants contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential fatty acids, and abundant phytonutrients—substances that promote health, slow aging, and protect against diseases in humans. “Plants can’t fight their enemies or hide from them...so they [produce] compounds that protect them from insects, disease, damaging ultraviolet light, inclement weather and browsing animals. More than eight thousand phytonutrients have been identified to date, and each plant produces several hundred of them,” writes Jo Robinson in Eating on the Wild Side. 

For eons, wild and native plants helped prevent soil erosion, enriched soil composition, and provided food for animals. Animals, for the most part, continue to eat the same wild plants today. On the other hand, human hunter-gatherers began farming plants and taming wild pigs, goats, and sheep for food. 

HOW NUTRIENTS WERE LOST AND CAN BE RECLAIMED

When our ancestors began collecting seeds to grow plants, they chose the most pleasurable varieties to eat—those that were more tender, less bitter, more starchy, and more oily. They left the bitter, tough, thick-skinned plants in the wilderness. Propagating pleasurable plants became the norm among farmers and plant breeders, but this practice unwittingly reduced the nutrient content of our vegetables and fruits. Domesticated beets, carrots, and parsnips contain less protein but more sugar. Domesticated fruits became larger in size, have thinner skin, and contain more sugar but less fiber and antioxidants. Cultivated greens are less bitter but have fewer phytonutrients. In addition, modern production methods further diminish flavors and distinctiveness. 

Surprising? Yes, but all is not lost. By selecting vegetables strategically and consuming more edible weeds, many of the missing virtues can be reclaimed. 

THE VALUE OF STRATEGICALLY SELECTING VEGETABLES AND CONSUMING EDIBLE WEEDS

Darker and red-colored lettuces contain more fiber and antioxidants. Grape and currant tomatoes contain ten times more phytonutrients than other varieties in a typical grocery store. Red, orange, purple, dark green, and yellow vegetables often contain more nutrients than other less colorful varieties. Cruciferous vegetables—like broccoli—especially the more bitter tasting ones, have nutrient profiles that are more similar to their ancestral plants than any other vegetable category. Arugula, radicchio, and sprouted vegetable seeds are also loaded with virtuous properties.

Food that “money can’t buy” is now seen more frequently in restaurants that want to take advantage of the deeper, more assertive aromas and flavors, unique textures, and vibrant colors found in wild foods. Small, intensely flavored wild strawberries, hickory nuts, garlic mustard, Virginia Pine needle tea, black walnuts, wild persimmons, Jerusalem artichokes, ramps, sassafras leaves, violet blossoms, red clover blossoms, acorns, and hazelnuts are just a small number of wild foods served in enterprising restaurants across the country. 

Nutritional powerhouses such as pokeweed, wood sorrel, wild garlic, and purslane are commonly sold in farmers markets. Including some of these with typical salad ingredients boosts both the flavor and nutrient richness of the dish. 

Books and foraging classes can equip us to locate and find nutritional powerhouses among the wild plants in our own yards, neighborhood parks, and urban landscapes. Dandelions, wild ginger, and purslane “weeds” growing just steps from my house spice up a pasta dish, add a pleasing punch to salads, and make refreshing teas. 

So are weeds friends or foes? I think we can see that not only are they friends, they are literally our best friends for life. I have more admiration for them now than ever, and I’m re-homing the edible ones from my flower beds to my kitchen. “How can I learn more about these fascinating ways to find the best fruits and vegetables?” a friend asked me recently. “That’s easy”, I replied. “Just join the High Health Network and you’ll receive a steady diet of enticing and useful information.” This knowledge is available for everyone, but don’t take my word for it, join the Network and find out for yourself. 

Joyce M. Young, MD, MPH
Managing Director, Advanced Wellness Systems

Photo by Mark Stosberg on Unsplash

"If your descent is from heroic sires, 
Show in your life a remnant of their fires."
—Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux

Sincerely,
Your colleagues at Advanced Wellness Systems