>>I think I am prepared to adopt the guilty-until-proven-innocent
>>principle, provided that I have some idea of what would count as
>>"proven innocent." Is there any example of a food that, although
>>not available to paleolithic people, has been demonstrated to be
>>safe for us?
>
>Not that I know of personally. Every time I have attempted bring one up
>(like the case for limited amounts of grains as a supplement to the diet),
>I have had it shot down by researcher Loren Cordain with reams of
>Paleolithic data and research cites.

You know, Todd, on second thought, it seems I may remember Loren remarking
somewhat favorably on the evidence for very modest amounts of wine at one
point over on the Paleodiet list, in contrast to all the other "Paleolithic
exceptions" he has shot down with research cites. You might ask him
directly and see what he says at <[log in to unmask]>.

Personally, I am skeptical, because I think the research situation with
alcohol (that modest amounts may be beneficial) is probably going to
eventually go the way of aspirin research with the accumulation of more
studies. (Where all the focus has been on looking at the lesser number of
benefits while ignoring a greater number of possible dangers that have come
to light.) I can't help the feeling that people are just wanting to drink
alcohol for other reasons, and only trying to find supporting health
reasons post-hoc to justify a pre-existing desire to do something
regardless.

But I could well be wrong where modest amounts are concerned. I suppose it
wouldn't be out of the question for the body to have developed evolutionary
mechanisms for processing modest amounts of alcohol due to the likely
inevitability that fermented overripe fruit would have been consumed from
time to time in conditions of food scarcity. Of course, that may be the
rub: modest amounts. What is modest? One glass of wine a day--or just an
ounce or two? Personally I drink even one glass (maybe once every few years
on a holiday occasion just to see what will happen) and my mind goes foggy
(which is sometimes enjoyable, I suppose) and I can't stay awake and just
want to go lie down. :-) Zzzzzzzzzz... But then I'm a lightweight. :-)

--Ward Nicholson <[log in to unmask]> Wichita, KS