More than 21,000 plants may be useful in medicine. For instance, the active ingredient in aspirin was first discovered in white willow and later isolated in meadowsweet. Our health depends on biodiversity. The next time you're shopping for bread, try pumpernickel or corn bread for a change. Relying too much on a few plant varieties could limit our future food choices.
Conserving biodiversity means greater choices and a safer food supply.
Red delicious apples really are delicious, but so are many other varieties. Conserving biodiversity means greater choices and a safer food supply. Over 1400 tropical plants with the potential to fight cancer have been identified by the U.S. Cancer Institute. The variety of plants is part of our medical future, and an example of the importance of biodiversity. Part of the reason for the potato famine in Ireland during the last century was a dependence on too few varieties of potatoes.