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2006-08-20 02:43:06 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics Biology

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2006-08-20 03:00:45 · update #1

4 answers

Research suggests that humans have been using herbs for as long as there have been humans. Some scientists asked the question "why do we like herbs and spices so much?". Since they don't have much nutritional value they shouldn't be that valuable to us, and from an evolutionary perspective have no reason for tasting as good as they do to us. Yet during the middle ages many spices were worth more than their weight in gold. Why? They postulated that herbs and spices must have antibacterial and antiviral properties, which is why we evolved such a taste for them. When this was tested this is exactly what was found to be true. The 2 ingredients that are found in nearly every dish in every culture turned out to be the most potent antibacterial and antiviral: onions and garlic. In fact, Albert Schweizer stopped an epidemic of dysentary(sp?) in Africa with just garlic. But researches found that it wasn't just garlic and onions that were potent against parasites, but all of the herbs and spices we love had, to varying degrees, antiparasitic properties. What this suggests is that we've been eating these things for millions of years. So early humans would have definately been adding them to their food, and not just salt.

2006-08-20 04:54:09 · answer #1 · answered by linguizic 2 · 0 0

Salt is used as a preservative, so is very useful in that way. It also acts as a flavour enhancer. In the days before salt mining was discovered, and the only salt came from the sea, it was considered a precious mineral.

Many other things were also added to food, mainly to improve the flavour - like herbs and spices - some of which have medicinal properties. People may not have known how they worked, but they certainly knew they did.

2006-08-20 02:54:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Perhaps that is all he had to add to his food. Not knowing of spices, peppers, sugars, etc., the salt was the only thing he knew was edible.

2006-08-20 02:50:51 · answer #3 · answered by Albannach 6 · 0 0

Salt preserved their food.

2006-08-20 04:07:35 · answer #4 · answered by mamaross 2 · 0 0

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