Food Resources in The Gambia: Nutrition and Herbal Medicine

The Gambia, 'The smiling Coast' of Africa, is a strip of low lying country located between latitudes 13o 00’ and 13o 50’ N and longitudes 16o 50’ and 13o 45’ W, with a total land boundary of 740 km, and dense population of 1,857,181. The two distinct climates are the rainy and dry seasons. The dry season which lasts from October till May is characterized by dry dusty wind; while the wet season lasts from June till early October, with total annual rainfall that varies from the coastline inwards. Based on the rainfall pattern, the three major agroecological zones include Sahelian, Sudan-Sahelian and Sudan-Guinean which favour the cultivation of some cash crops, food crops, and herbal plants. Foods, in the form of liquid or solid, are sources of nutrition and medicine for good health; malnutrition, or poison. Foods and nutrition are essential for maintaining good health and preventing disease. Not only is malnutrition prevalent in The Gambia, but most of the populace also seemed unaware of the content, quality, composition, the nutritive, or medicinal value of the foods consumed. In this review, the chemical, medicinal, and nutritive values of some commonly consumed or traditional foods and drinks and the names of some herbal plants and their uses in The Gambia are reported.