Balzer, Ben wrote:

>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
>

I question this.  Peanuts are edible raw, so they pass that test.  They
are New World foods, so they fail that test, if anybody's using it.
 Cordain's article pertains to peanut *oil*, which appears to be
atherogenic in animal studies.  I don't believe any study has ever shown
a correlation between eating whole peanuts and atherogenesis.  In fact,
studies of nut consumption generally *include* peanuts, and it is pretty
well established that nut consumption has a protective effect, at least
against fatal heart attacks.  Moreover, the conjecture that the
atherogenic effect of peanut oil is caused by lectins is just that: a
conjecture.  There are other conjectures out there as well, such as the
theory that a particular triglyceride in peanut oil is structurally
unusual and that is causing the problem.

As far as I know, the only known health problems attributable to peanuts
are (a) serious allergic reactions to them in some people (important but
not different from similar reactions some people have to shellfish or
strawberries), and (b) aflatoxin-caused cancer, if the peanuts are
raised and/or stored under damp or moldy conditions.  I recall a study
of liver cancer rates (liver cancer is associated with aflatoxin) in two
parts of Africa where peanut consumption was high (as it is in many
parts of  Africa, since it has become a cash crop there).  In one region
liver cancer rates were high; in the other region they were low.  In the
first region, the climate was damp; in the second it was arid.  This is
one reason why peanuts have become a cash crop in Africa, in fact.  They
can be grown under a wide variety of conditions.

I certainly understand why people would choose to avoid peanuts.  This
isn't an advocacy argument for peanut consumption.  But I do think the
classification of peanuts as paleo or not is logically tied to whether
or not one classifies New World foods in general as paleo or not --
since none of them were available to be eaten by our paleolithic ancestors.

Todd Moody
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