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By MICHELE JACOBSON
In the beginning, all foods grew wild. Nothing was cultivated, processed, or genetically engineered. And prehistoric humans bene tted enormously from eating the natural edibles they gathered. On average, they consumed over one hundred di erent
plant varietals a year. ese plants provided great amounts of calcium and other micronutrients, helping to build strong bones and teeth. Our ancestors also ate less sugar in a year than the average person now eats in a day. Foods were gathered at the peak of freshness and, prior to eating, simply washed, peeled, cracked or possibly cooked over an open ame.
As humankind evolved into an agricultural society, cultivated varieties of plants were bred to be sweeter to cater to the contemporary palate. Fruits and vegetables continued to be cultivated for uniformity, durability during transport, and long shelf life; key concerns for producers. As a result of these objectives, what we lost was the high nutritional content that our original wild food sources contained.
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