On Thu, 6 Jan 2000, Mary wrote:

> Does this mean we should not eat macadamias, or just not the oil? I don't
> eat macadamia oil, anyway.

I don't know the answer.  If the idea is to avoid all erucic
acid, then don't eat them.  But I doubt that paleolithic people
avoided all erucic acid.

And I just looked up ground mustard seed, which has 10.7g/100g of
EA, so I guess that would be off-limits, too.  Of course,
paleolithic people would know nothing of such things.  Australian
aborigines have been eating macadamias for a long time (That's
where they are from).

This is just more evidence that the fact that a food is paleo
doesn't entail that it is free of all things that one might find
problematic.

Another example: oxalic acid.  Like phytic acid, oxalate binds to
iron and interferes with its absorption.  While phytate is found
mainly in grains, oxalate is found in tea, spinach, rhubarb, and
sardines -- all paleo foods.  I mention these foods because they
are rich enough in oxalate that doctors typically tell people to
avoid them if they have a problem with oxalate kidney stones.

Todd Moody
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