ABSTRACT
North American indigenous food plants are best understood in the context of what is known about the historical and biological relationships of humans and food plants. Allergies are typically relatively serious negative reactions and eating an unfamiliar food, sometimes even touching it, has the potential of triggering a bad reaction in susceptible individuals. The relative merit of food plants can be rated by various criteria, such as superiority of taste, nutritional content, suitability for climates or soils, beneficial or detrimental effects on biodiversity and the environment, and social spin-offs. Plants often produce concentrated levels of toxins in organs that require protection against herbivores. The medicinal use of some plants is potentially hazardous and should only be carried out under the supervision of trained, knowledgeable, licensed, health-care professionals. A diet based predominantly on plant tissues is now known to contribute to health; conversely, dietary diseases are associated with avoidance of plant foods.
