> On Thu, 30 Sep 1999, Bruce Sherrod wrote:
>
> > Paleo literature tends to advocate paleo diets for cancer
prevention.
> > How is skin cancer from sunlight explained? I assume this kind
> > of cancer is not common among hunter-gatherers, despite the fact
> > that they spend so much time in the sun.
Antioxidants can have a direct protective effect. There are a hundreds of
antioxidants and a paleodiet has enormous amounts of these. (cf a Pyramid
diet (standard western diet) is full of those empty calories called grains
(sounds like a new string on that might be nice)). Now, this is better than
a vegetarian diet for antioxidants as vegetarian diets are clogged with
grains. Also, meat contains alpha- lipoic acid, one of the most potent
antioxidants known. It also is notable for being fat and water soluble. It
is not known whether or not alpha-lipoic acid is inactivated by cooking (my
bet is that it is and this then explains the French Paradox better than the
red wine, as the French are renowned for having their meat rather bloody
(wipe its ass, rip its horns off and stick it on a plate)).(I've sent that
idea into a medical journal).
Where was I? Oh, some antioxidants directly block UV light- eg those found
in eggs, orange capsicum (peppers), and corn (not paleo). Antioxidants can
also mop up the free radicals produced by UV light damage. Some plants
contain psoralens- substances that react with UV light making you more
sensitive to damage! I don't know much about these- but I saw the director
of a skin cancer unit holding a press conference on it.
When it comes to antioxidants, you can't beat a paleo diet. The hundreds of
different antioxidants can help along the hundreds of different chemical
reactions and requirements in the body. Many vitamins have an antioxidant
role (Vit C, folic acid, Vit E etc). Now C and folate are enormous in paleo,
I'm not sure about E as grains are good sources. There are hundreds of other
antioxidants.
> > As a long time sufferer of chronic psoriasis and psoriatic
arthritis,
> > I'm very interested in research -- or even anecdotal accounts --
> > of dietary intervention for treatment of psoriasis.
Will send a previous thread along- maybe you should search the archives for
psoriasis.
> > A question about fats: I think most sources agree (and recent
> > discussion here confirms) that a diet high in saturated fats is
> > not healthy (compared to, say, monounsaturated fats). So, why does
> > the paleo diet encourage eating foods such as suet, schmaltz, lard,
> > and coconut oil?
>
Some people do, but don't forget, there are many variations on paleo- I
think of it as paleo dietS. Many of us have quirky tastes, but I always play
it safe and stay away from saturated fats.. Coconut oil - I think coconut is
not paleo. I think it has been glorified as we need our treats. This will
not be a popular statement. I'll write another thread called "coconuts are
not paleo" and you can reply to that one.
> > I don't know why cooked pork fat would be only 63% fat, but if
> > we believe the USDA information it's still high in saturated fat
> > compared to the rest of its fat content. So, what am I missing
here?
> > Why wouldn't it be better to eat olive oil instead of lard?
AS above. Olive oil is paleo, and is one of the richest sources of
antioxidants, with over 200 different ones identified so far. Olive oil is
credited with the low rate of heart disease in Mediterranean countries.
> > More generally speaking, is it possible to eat a balanced, healthy
> > (paleo) diet without taking supplements? It's discouraging to hear
> > the Troy Gilchrist say that he takes a dried liver supplement _and_
> > a DHA supplement. I would like to get all my nutrition from whole
> > natural foods if possible.
>
Bruce, I used to avoid supplements. But then I read "Give your Dog a Bone"
by Ian Billingurst, veterinarian. He has an excellent approach to vitamins,
and points out that any excess is harmlessly excreted. He also points out
that cooking and processing reduce vitamin levels below the natural fresh
food level, so I feel good about taking vitamins now. We've previously
discussed that Ian's shows that grains in canned dog foods give dogs
degenerative diseases such as obesity, arthritis and diabetes. He provides
much needed animal data, as human studies are thin on the ground.
Vitamin E- buy the natural form d-alphatocopherol, not the synthetic
d,l-alphatocopherol. In nature most molecules are left or right handed
(think of them like left and right shoes), and only the one type will work.
The other is either inactive or harmful. SO, d is right handed and d,l is a
synthetic and contains equal amounts of both. Vit E is often in wheat germ
oil, but a small amount of that won't hurt I hope.
Ben Balzer
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