On Tue, 1 Aug 2000, Amadeus Schmidt wrote:

> Now I think about this case. Was my diet unnatural all the time, and in
> which way?

You already know the answer, Amadeus.  Even small amounts of
meat, regularly eaten, are sufficient to maintain adequate B12.
You also are aware that your predecessors have always eaten meat,
in great or small amounts, but never zero amounts.  According to
Craig Stanford, the diet of chimpanzees is about 15% meat.

> Some essential was missing. Significant, even if it's the weakest demand of
> any essential, i know of.

You might think about L-carnitine as well.  This amino acid can
be made in the body from lysine and methionine, but these may
also be in short supply in a vegetarian diet.  L-carnitine is
very important for transport of medium and long-chain fatty acids
into mitochondria.  This is another example of how a
protein-supplied amino acid is needed for a function other than
tissue-building (like arginine and NO).

> Or man, like the big apes (i'd assume a similar requirement for) is to eat
> 2-4% insects (certainly natural paleo).

I'd verify the assumption that the requirement is similar first.

> Anyway I'll stick to refuelling every 5 years.

Will you be checking to determine whether your supplements
effectively raise your serum levels to the normal range?

Todd Moody
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