On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 17:02:03 -1000, Nieft / Secola <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Amadeus:
>>> Since vegetarianism involves only *leaving away* some certain foods,
>>> i can't see a problem with it.
>>> Or someone has to show why exactely this or that components
>>> of meat *have* to be included.
>
>Todd:
>>One problem could be inadequate protein for optimal muscular
>>development.  You are persuaded that human protein needs are
>>quite low.  While I agree that we are able to get by on little
>>protein, I believe that there is evidence that we do better on
>>more protein than is available on a typical vegetarian diet
>>(without protein isolates).
To Tod
d: Typical? I think we already found nuts (as well as various
other plant seeds as almonds, pineseed, sunflower, chestnut..)
are a perfect protein (and fat) supply?
Btw. I'm presently increasing my protein supply.
My subjective impression up to now is:
My lips aren't as smooth as before - playing the
digeridoo becomes more difficult :-)
and my stomach feeling is not as peaceful as usual.

>
>Further, fats may be as or more important than proteins. The human brain is
>some three times larger than a chimps brain, and more than 50% fat if I
>remember correctly, mostly the sacred EPA's and DHEA's. Fats are scarce in
>vegetable foods. (Avocados are "new world" fruits and did not make up any %
>of our old world paleo-ancestor's diet, though nuts probabbly did, but I
>don't think either contains much of the important brain fats).
>

I read about that fa
t-for-brain theory. Interesting.
What makes you believe that nuts don't contain the rhight fats,
and that the body can't make them himself?
Can you specify the exact fatty-acid name? then we could
look it up in the USDA database.
Nuts have much more fats as game meat.

Annother interesting point to brain developement and
nutrition is the vitamin-B1 issue.
All nervous cells *only* work with a constant b1 supply.
A 3-times bigger brain has a 3 times bigger b1-need, isn't it?
Searching for good b1-supplies in paleolithic food items
(of africa) i again found nuts and seeds as a
key factor.
I think they must have played a very important role in
history.

>... they can not be ignored if optimal health is the goal. To me, the
>fact that chimps highly prize non-insect animal foods (young chimps will
>BEG for portions of a kill!) argues that they would eat more non-insect
>animal fo
ods if they were available. Perhaps they are craving the
>protein/fat not easily found in small portions of insects, nor in massive
>amounts of vegetation. Who knows?
Yes may be, at least in their typical environment that they
cant change.
Maybe someone *did* the test to give some chimps
an unlimited supply of meat and other wild foodstuff.
How would they choose?
Personally I guess that they'd behave like humans:
increase meat intake, because it's easy and concentrated.
Annother question was, if the chimps would thrive
and remain healthy for a longer time on it.

>Cheers,
>Kirt

cheers

Amadeus