The foods that grow in rainforests are different types of fruits, vegetables and spices, such as coconuts, avocados, squash, yams, bananas, plantains, guava, mangoes, pineapples, peppercorns, vanilla, ginger, chocolate and cinnamon. There are nearly 3,000 different foods that grow in rainforests; however, the Western world consumes only about 200 of these foods, while indigenous people use approximately 2,000.
The major rainforests of the world are found in South America, Africa and Australia. Some other foods grown in the rainforest are coffee, rice, corn and citrus fruits. Rainforests also produce plants that are used in medicine. For example, the periwinkle plant provides an extract called vincristine, which is useful as an anti-cancer drug. Alkaloids found in rainforest plants also have medicinal value.
