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Article: Foods and Diets
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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FOODS AND DIETS
Humans have evolved to depend on a continuous supply of energy (calories) and nutrients from edible plants and animals. From the dawn of civilization, humans have been omnivores. Early humans hunted or gathered whatever foods were available in the immediate environment, as determined by geography, climate, and season. The precise number of foods eaten by humans is uncertain; scientists estimate that at least twenty thousand plants have edible parts. To these must be added fungi and algae, as well as foods derived from mammals, fish, seafood, birds, eggs, milk, and exotic animals. Among food plants, about 150 have been domesticated and are cultivated on a large scale, but ...