On Mon, 10 Aug 1998, Aaron Sugarman wrote:

> I have tried substituting nuts and seeds for meat and I fell apart.  It didn't
> sustain me.  They are different than meat, and their high arachidonic acid
> sp?) may actually lead to long-term health problems.  Better to eat meat and
> fish and snack on nuts as well.  We are not squirrels.

Disclaimer:  I do not recommend substituting nuts and seeds for
meat altogether.  I have read that the !Kung live on meat and
nuts almost exclusively.  Presumably they wouldn't bother with
the meat if they didn't feel that they needed it, since it's more
work to hunt and trap animals than to gather nuts.

That said, I want to point out that according to the USDA
database, most nuts are devoid of arachidonic acid.  I couldn't
find any with non-zero values.  As far as I know, AA is made in
the cells of animal, from linoleic acid.  Thus, dietary sources
of AA are mainly meat and especially eggs.  I have been persuaded
that natural dietary levels of AA are not a cause for concern.

Todd Moody
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