On Wed, 29 Sep 1999, Troy Gilchrist wrote:

> Vinegar is very much a technology-dependent food. I'd stay away from it
> regardless of the source (apples, grain, etc.).But as with any non-paleo
> food, eating it once every month or two is probably not going to have much
> of a long-term effect (assuming you aren't eating lot's of other non-paleo
> foods, thereby compromising your immune system on a regular basis).

I have to disagree, Troy.  If you've ever eaten vine-ripened wild
grapes, as I used to do when I was a kid, you've consumed your
share of "wild vinegar."  Wild grapes ferment quickly on the
vine, passing rapidly through the alcohol stage into the vinegar
stage.  I have vivid memories of eating wild grapes during the
few days when they would be in season, competing with the birds
for the harvest.  Since they don't all ripen at exactly the same
time it was common to get several "sourballs", as we called them,
among the sweet ones.  We'd eat them anyway.

Granted, the amounts we ate were small, but that is generally
true of vinegar consumption anyway.  And the body does have a
metabolic pathway for dealing with vinegar.

I would be very interested, however, to learn of any research
that shows that vinegar has a deleterious effect on the immune
system.

Todd Moody
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