On Saturday, December 30, 2000 8:02 PM, Ken Stuart [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] wrote:
> > Neanderthin is quite far removed from paleolithic eating, need I say.
> I think since you've been on this list for months, then surely you've seen the
> references that findings of researchers (like Dr. Loren Cordain) support the
> Neanderthin position.
>
> The only possible point of disagreeing with the premise of this group, with NO
> evidence or references to substantiate this disagreement, is to reassure
> yourself about something (presumably that your non-paleo eating is somehow still
> healthy, although clearly I have no way of knowing those specifics).
I have no qualms with the findings. It's the interpretation
and the application that disturb me. It's not with the
premise, but with the conclusion that I take issue.
Few foods have been uniformly distributed, over time
(both seasons and eons) and locations. It appears that our
omnivorous nature permits us to survive under a range of
conditions. But which of these are necessary, sufficient,
excessive?
Typically, farmed meat contains 2 to 5 times the amount fat
found in wild game, and a disproportionately large amount of
SFA. How much of the protein and unsaturated fat in food
remains intact after cooking? How many dangerous products are
created during this process? Is it reasonable to assume that
very little of the especially fragile omega-3 fat survives
the high heat and oxidation, during cooking?
A daily diet that includes 1/2 pound of game meat, 1/2
pound of fish, 2 ounces of nuts, one pound of fruit and 5
pounds of vegetables, contains 176 grams of protein (34% of
calories) and 44 grams of fat (19% of calories). See chart 4
below.
I think it's reasonable to assume that a raw diet of wild
game, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables is close to the
centre of our range of tolerances, squarely in the middle of
nature's way -- paleo, by any measure. A regimen that
includes fried bacon, sausages, pork rinds, porterhouse
steaks, bottles of oil and pemmican heavy with lard is pretty
far afield -- not exactly "naked with a stick" fare. Sure,
it's in our nature to explore and experiment, to test our
limits; but isn't our consideration of paleolithic eating
patterns, above all, a search for a well-beaten path?
The information in the charts below is from the USDA nutrient
database.
If the columns aren't aligned properly, cut and paste this
into a word processor, select all of the text and switch to a
Courier font.
SFA = saturated fatty acid
MUFA = monounsaturated fatty acid
PUFA = polyunsaturated fatty acid
Fat = total fat content
Fat = SFA + MUFA + PUFA + rounding error. To quote the USDA
documentation:
"Values for total saturated, monounsaturated, and
polyunsaturated fatty acids may include individual
fatty acids not reported in SR; therefore, the sum of
their values may exceed the sum of the individual
fatty acids listed."
1. Calories, gm of fat, gm of protein per 100 gram portion
Food Item kcal SFA MUFA PUFA Fat Prot
Game, antelope, raw 114 0.74 0.48 0.44 2.03 22.38
Game, bear, raw 161 8.30 20.10
Game, beaver, raw 146 4.80 24.05
Game, beefalo, raw 143 2.04 2.04 0.15 4.80 23.30
Game, bison, raw 109 0.69 0.72 0.19 1.84 21.62
Game, boar, wild, raw 122 0.99 1.30 0.48 3.33 21.51
Game, buffalo, water, raw 99 0.46 0.42 0.27 1.37 20.39
Game, caribou, raw 127 1.29 1.01 0.47 3.36 22.63
Game, deer, raw 120 0.95 0.67 0.47 2.42 22.96
Game, elk, raw 111 0.53 0.36 0.30 1.45 22.95
Game, horse, raw 133 1.44 1.61 0.65 4.60 21.39
Game, moose, raw 102 0.22 0.15 0.24 0.74 22.24
Game, muskrat, raw 162 8.10 20.76
Game, rabbit, farmed, raw 136 1.66 1.50 1.08 5.55 20.05
Game, rabbit, wild, raw 114 0.69 0.63 0.45 2.32 21.79
Game, squirrel, raw 120 0.38 1.18 0.94 3.21 21.23
2. Calories, gm of fat, gm of protein per 100 gram portion of
selected beef products
Food Item kcal SFA MUFA PUFA Fat Prot
Beef, ground, extra lean 234 6.81 7.41 0.71 17.06 18.70
Beef, ground, lean, raw 264 8.31 9.01 0.85 20.67 17.70
Beef, ground, reg., raw 310 10.80 11.60 1.08 26.55 16.60
Beef, top round, raw 169 3.22 3.49 0.33 8.39 21.80
Beef, brain, raw 126 2.16 1.85 1.07 9.28 9.80
Beef, heart, raw 117 1.13 0.84 0.92 3.78 17.10
Beef, kidneys, raw 107 0.97 0.66 0.67 3.08 16.60
Beef, liver, raw 143 1.50 0.51 0.84 3.75 20.00
3. Group average calories, gm of fat, gm of protein per
100 gram portion (Each group consists of all related
entries in the USDA database.)
Group kcal SFA MUFA PUFA Fat Prot
Pork 246 6.88 8.41 2.11 18.96 17.41
Pork - % of kcal as fat 69.37
Beef 222 6.39 6.73 0.63 15.70 18.86
Beef - % of kcal as fat 63.65
Lamb 215 7.07 6.14 0.93 15.43 17.84
Lamb - % of kcal as fat 64.59
Poultry 172 2.83 3.77 2.14 9.82 19.35
Poultry - % kcal as fat 51.38
Fish 113 0.85 1.36 0.93 3.71 18.20
Fish - % of kcal as fat 29.55
Game 123 0.90 0.91 0.41 3.34 21.81
Game - % of kcal as fat 24.44
Fruit, raw 60 0.13 0.35 0.16 0.78 0.89
Fruit - % of kcal as fat 11.70
Vegetables, raw 43 0.08 0.07 0.19 0.46 2.58
Vegetables - % kcal fat 9.63
Nuts & seeds, raw 288 7.51 7.44 1.89 17.77 5.44
Nuts & seeds - % kcal fat 55.53
4. Calories, gm of fat, gm of protein in 1/2 lb. of game,
1/2 lb of fish, 2 oz of nuts, 1 lb of fruit, 5 lb of veg
Group kcal SFA MUFA PUFA Fat Prot
Game 341 2.50 2.52 1.14 9.25 60.41
Fish 313 2.35 3.76 2.58 10.28 50.41
Nuts 163 4.26 4.22 1.07 10.08 3.09
Fruit 272 0.59 1.59 0.73 3.54 4.04
Veg 976 1.81 1.59 4.31 10.44 58.57
Total 2065 11.51 13.68 9.83 43.59 176.52
% of kcal 5.02 5.96 4.28 18.99 34.18
Norm
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