We’ve all eaten our fair share of bitter tasting foods because they were deemed “good for us”, but are they really? Or could fruits and vegetables actually be trying to kill us?

Everyone is told to eat healthy food when they’re growing up, but why is that so important? Is it possible that these “healthy” foods we’ve been instructed to eat are actually detrimental to our health? Let’s discover the science behind the taste of our favorite fruits and vegetables!

Image: child eating blueberries off of the plant
Source: Wikimedia

Some noteworthy benefits of eating salads include extra fiber, plenty of nutrients, and cutting down the number of calories ingested. Plants are a great source of vitamins and nutrients for humans, animals, and even bacteria! So in order to protect themselves from becoming dinner, some plants have put on some intimidating outfits while others have even resorted to chemical warfare.

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So, are salads killing us?

To answer this question we look to one of our favorite YouTube channels, It’s Okay To Be Smart; Dr. Joe Hanson is explaining a little more about plants and the chemicals they’re continuously creating to fend off attackers.

Via: It’s Okay To Be Smart 1

Unfortunately for plants, the chemicals created to prevent being eaten are typically enjoyed by humans. These chemicals are what gives fruits and vegetables that flavor that we enjoy! Like Dr. Joe said, even though these plants communicate to one another, there are still some predators that aren’t deterred.

Sadly, this doesn’t mean that we should stop eating any spicy or bitter tasting fruits and vegetables.

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These plants are still a great source of nutrition! So make sure to have well-balanced meals and enjoy that extra flavoring that their defenses have provided us.

Be adventurous and welcome whatever comes next (even those detested veggies)!

  • Abigayle

Want to see more interesting things about food or health?

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Notes:

  1. “Your Salad Is Trying To Kill You.” YouTube. It’s Okay To Be Smart, 13 July 2015. Web. 03 Apr. 2018. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_738377511&feature=iv&src_vid=9WzVMZunzaM&v=8Ofgj2KDbfk>. ↩

Abigayle Fugere

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Abi is passionate about warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk, analyzing numbers, and soaking up the sun on the beach.