Nuts certainly do contain lectins but there has been very little published
about their interaction with human physiology. Nachbar and Oppenheim did a
study of lectins in the US diet which gives an excellent list.

The fact that there is little published on them must be combined with the
fact that they are easy to get, and I think that it generally means there
isn't much bad to report about them. I wouldn't bother to avoid them unless
I had a significant ongoing autoimmune disease (including osteoarthritis),
in which case all lectins are best avoided.

I posted this question on Thorkild's lectin scientist website and didn't
really get any data back.

Peanuts of course are a bean and have a very nasty lectin PNA and are
definitely NOT Paleo. See Cordain's ref on his new website
http://www.thepaleodiet.com/articles.htm Cashews extrude from the end of a
fruit, have a toxic covering and need to be cooked so they're not very
Paleo. The last caveat relates to the almond- wild almonds have a high level
of cyanide but occasional mutant have a low level and these are the ones we
eat, cf most of the "edible nuts" rely on their hard shell for protection.
The walnut and the good old Australian macadamia are excellent choices high
in omega 3 LNA, also almonds pistachios etc.

Ref:
Lectins in the United States diet: a survey of lectins in commonly consumed
foods and a review of the literature
Martin S. Nachbar,” M.D. and Joel D. Oppenheim, Ph.D.Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 33:
2338-2345, 1980.

Ben Balzer

-----Original Message-----
From: Paleolithic Eating Support List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Theola Walden Baker
Sent: Saturday, 19 October 2002 4:58 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Nuts


Does anybody know if nuts contain lectins?

Theola