Hi Kirt,

> Alan:
> >It makes no difference as nuts are essentially seeds..and are
> >not meant to be eaten really (unless they use the "host" as
> >a means of propagating..and are thus indigestible if not chewed).
>
> Since when is anything "meant to be eaten"? Yes, I am well aware of the
> relationship between fruit and seed dispersal--which, by the way, is simply
> something that has worked evolutionarily, not anything intentional. Any
> more than the relationship between flowering plants and insects means that
> nectar is "meant" for insects because they pollinate. It works. And plenty
> of insects eat plenty besides nectar and pollen. Just as mammals eat a huge
> variety of plants and animals--humans being perhaps the most omnivorous of
> all mammals, certainly the most omnivorous primate.
>
> Seeds, eggs (reptilian, avian, crustation, and fish), nuts, and fetuses in
> dead mammals--all are prized meals for particular mammals at particular
> times. Nearly all plant parts (tuber, leaves, buds, stems, etc.) are edible
> at times by particular animals. None of it is "meant to be eaten".
>
> The only thing I can imagine that was meant for me to eat was my mother's
> breastmilk (and perhaps my loved one's secret fold's but that's only
> figurative ;)).
>
> Alan, I suspect you may be mixing up your nutritional ideas with your
> "spiritual" ideas. Fine, but you seemed to have crossed a logical line in
> the sand telling others not to eat nuts because of your arbitrary ideas
> (ideals?) which attribute intent to lunch.
>
> >> (3) Could it be, since they are so different, that some nuts have
> >>     enzyme inhibitors as well, while some don't?
> >
> >They might look different but their purpose in Nature is identical.
> >Thus they stand to gain nothing by being chewed and digested.
> >(some obviously use the digestive system of birds and apes etc.
> >to propagate but are not..or not all..chewed by these species and thus
> >leave their bodies in much the same state as they entered).
>
> So? Primates eat anything which is attractive to their smell and taste and
> care nothing for your notions of whether nuts are meant to be eaten. FTR,
> some primates are able to shuck nuts and eat them. Probably to you this
> means that they are eating something wrong, eh? ;)
>
> >In other words, they produce the enzyme inhibitors to prevent themselves
> >from being digested..meaning unless we neutralise them..all seeds
> >are a useless burden on our digestive system and can even interefere
> >with the digestion of other similar foodstuffs (if the enzyme trypsin,
> >which the body uses to process protein is inhibited, for example, the
> >person would have a digestive problem with all other proteins eaten
> >in the same meal).
>
> You over-generalize way too much IMO. Every food consumed is a trade off
> between digestional energy and nutritional benefits. Even if none of the
> protein in nuts or seeds was assimilated, there is much more to a nut than
> protein--there are important fats, minerals, etc. And if you are literally
> starving for these other nutrients (as many raw vegans are, as well as for
> protein) then they are probably going to be a useful addition to the diet
> (though those with impaired digestion resulting from the overconsumption of
> fruits may not find much assimilation of nuts happening). Probably much
> better for a person in this situation to eat some fish roe, but if one has
> decided that such food is "wrong"...? Nuts may be better than nothing. But
> perhaps they will listen to you tell them that nuts are "wrong" too? Such a
> puzzle, eh? ;)
>
Sorry to others for quoting it all again.

I agree with just about everything up there Kirt and am thus at a loss
to understand why you chose to write it. Maybe I didn't make myself
clear enough (although I thought I did).

Sure you can and should eat nuts if you want to (as I also do as I have
often pointed out). The point is WHEN you should eat them. Eat them
by all means when they are just about to fall off the tree or shortly
after they have fallen off (I feel I am repeating myself here), just
as other animals do, and there is no problem with enzyme inhibitors.
I have never yet soaked older nuts (or nuts which are not quite "ripe"
but it is also claimed by others that this is also a way of getting rid
of the enzyme inhibitors. Just because I don't soak nuts does not
mean that others should not do so if they so wish.

As to seeds, it is obvious to anyone that many seeds "send out a
meassage" that they should be eaten by providing delicious and
nutritious flesh (strawberries, raspberries, cranberries,
etc. etc...the list goes on and on). But these seeds want to be eaten
in order to propagate and the seeds themselves thus contain
enzyme inhibitors to make sure they are not digested. Thus chewing
and hence crushing such seeds will give you a digestion problem
with no other nutritional benefit. Grains such as wheat, oats and
barley etc. are also seeds and should thus also not be eaten raw.
If people choose to eat them cooked and make bread or flour out of
them and ignore the possible gluten problem as well, then it is
up to them. All I and anybody else can do is to point out that
these problems exist.

Hope I have cleared this one up.

Alan