A survey of wild, green, leafy vegetables and their potential in combating micronutrient deficiencies in rural populations : research in action

Abstract

We investigated which wild, green, leafy vegetables are regularly consumed by people in the Northern Province of South Africa, since these are their most common source of micronutrients, particularly of beta-carotene. Frequent consumers of such plants were interviewed and specimens of the plants, 32 species in all, were collected and identified. From the literature, data on the nutritional value were found for 13 of these plants. The data, although incomplete, indicated that these wild plants are generally good sources of micronutrients. The study highlights the need for more information on the beta-carotene content of wild plants; it is difficult to make recommendations regarding their usage until this has been done.