Which Foods Are the Best Symbiotics?
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Mutual Benefits
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Seed-bearing foods The best symbiotic foods are fruits, nuts, and vegetables containing seeds, such as squashes, beans, peas, pumpkin, peppers, tomatoes, chilis, okra. These fruits, nuts, and seed-bearing vegetables have a symbiotic relationship with humans in which the seeds of these foods travel through the human digestive system to wherever their destination and humans gain nutrition and sustenance from the "meat" surrounding the seed. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables contain high concentrations of vitamins and minerals essential to the health and well-being of the human body.
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True Symbiosis Impossible
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In modern times true symbiosis with fruits, seeded vegetables, and nuts cannot be achieved. Where humans would have transported via digestion and deposited seeds in ground through excretion in the past, the development and utilization of the modern sewage system renders such benefits to the plant ineffective. Further, because humans have mass domesticated their favorite fruits, nuts, and seeded vegetables, the biodiversity that was achieved in the past through the random scattering of seed has been marginalized. Thus, a truly symbiotic relationship between humans and their food is non-existent in the modern era.
Bottom Line
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The symbiotic relationship between humans and digestive bacteria living in human intestines is essential to our ability to garner nutrients from the foods that they eat. These friendly bacteria help to derive vitamins for bodies from the foods that give us sustenance and we give them a place to live and eat as well. A healthy diet contributes to the maintenance of friendly digestive bacteria. The USDA recommends a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables (seeded and non-seeded), grains, dairy products, oils, and meats and beans.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit healthy foods image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com fruit and vegetable studio isolated image by dinostock from Fotolia.com Orchard - horizontal photo image by Bartlomiej Nowak from Fotolia.com diet vegetables image by Chef from Fotolia.com
