Plant Food for Human Health: Case Study of Indigenous Vegetables in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The people of a particular culture and locale utilize plant resources within their environment for diverse purposes, e.g., as food. Plants that are utilized as food also contribute to the health and well-being of the populace. This chapter assesses the relationship between the people of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and the crop plants found in their locality that contribute to health securityHealth security. People from Akwa Ibom State rely mostly on vegetables for their diet and as medicines, and these plants play numerous roles in their culture. A total of 88 plants from 15 higher plant families were found to be used as food and medicine by the Akwa Ibom people. This chapter will describe these plants as well as their cultural practices, conservation status, and traditional knowledge and utilization patterns. These plants are either used solely or in combination with other plant resources to prepare different local relishes that possess medicinal value for the treatment and management of diverse ailments. These plants include Cucurbita maxima, Gongronema latifolium, Abelmoschus esculentus, Piper guineense, Amaranthus hybridus, Justicia schimperi, Ocimum gratissimum, Telfairia occidentalis, Gnetum africana, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Heinsia crinita, Talinum triangulare, Vernonia amygdalina, Lasianthera africana, Colocasia esculentus, Cucumis sativus, and Ipomoea batatas. Plants have been used as food and medicine for decades by all age groups in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, although some of them are considered underutilized. However, their utilization as food and medicine is on the increase in the present day, and they will most likely continue to be relevant in the future. Nonetheless, practical measures like value addition, better packaging, and conservation strategies are necessary.