Your Salad Is Trying To Kill You

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The dose makes the poison…
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↓ More info and sources below ↓

CORRECTION: @2:14 we showed the wrong Paul Ehrlich (guy on the left). Instead of Paul Ehrlich the German doctor, we meant to show Paul Ehrlich the biologist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_R....

Plants are the most important source of nutrients for pretty much all of Earth's animals, and many of the planet's bacteria and fungi too. Humans like them so much that we line them up in salad bars so we can feast upon their crunchy cronch by the plate full.

But plants don't always want to be eaten, ya know? Here's a look at some of our favorite plant flavors and how they are actually a form of chemical warfare
We owe caterpillars for spicy mustard:
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/201...
http://munews.missouri.edu/news-relea...

Overview of plant chemical defenses and what we use them for in the kitchen: http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/introp...

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It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.DFollow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe
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Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer
Joe Nicolosi - Director
Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Producer
Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation
Katie Graham - Camera
John Knudsen - Gaffer


Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod

Other music via APM
Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks


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