* Eva Hedin (2005-03-30 21:14):
> Because peas and beans are seeds even if they are a bit large.

It's not that simple.  Nuts are seeds aswell, but they are still paleo.

The only vegetables that are generally "meant" to be eaten, are sweet
fruits.  The evolutionary function of sweet fruits is to make animals
spread the seeds within, and for that reason they're usually low in
antinutrients.  Other fruits, seeds, roots, stalks, leaves, flowers or
any other part of a plant may contain antinutrients in order to
discourage vegetation.

On the other hand, many animals have evolved counter strategies, such as
enzymes that break down certain antinutrients.  The question is what
strategies humans have evolved, and the answer to that lies in our
evolutionary past.  The question is not wether to eat seeds or not, but
_which_ seeds our ancestors ate in sufficient quantities for long enough
to adapt somewhat to.  I believe at the very least that some nuts are in
that category.

And then there is the question about antinutrient lowering techniques,
such as soaking, fermentation, germination and cooking.  In which cases
are they sufficient?

Erik