Green Vegetables contain very little nutritive material, but are valuable chiefly on account of their salts. We include in this group cabbages, cauliflowers, lettuces, vegetable marrows, tomatoes, etc. They give variety and relish to the food, and also act as anti-scorbutics in preventing scurvy -- a disease that used to be common among sailors and those classes who were unable to obtain fresh vegetables or fruits. Another rather important use of these foods is due to the cellulose they contain. This is a substance resembling starch, but it is indigestible: it is useful, however, in forming a bulk in the intestines, thereby stimulating their movements and preventing constipation. The onion, leek, shallot, etc., possess essential oils which are useful in flavouring food.
The edible fungi, as mushrooms, contain about 91 per cent. of water and a little nitrogen. They are usually very indigestible and are of practically no value as foods.
Comment: while everyone recognises that green veg are useful because of their fibre, it is interesting to note that the higher value here is placed mainly on their salts (vitamin) content, which have later been found to have anti-cancer effects (as for tomatoes) while mushrooms, which seem to be seen as the most useless thing you could eat, are actually very nutritious (see this article for more details).
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