Dear Paleodiet,
I have been lurking for the last few weeks, and I'm finding this one of the
most interesting and stimulating lists I've seen. On to business. One of
the things I do is teach aspects of botany and herbal medicine in the only
university-based programme in natural and complementary medicine
(naturopathy) in Australia.
1. I have often speculated with my students that early humans were provided
with many of the compounds that would protect them from illness via their
diet. These very same compounds (e.g. alkaloids, tannins, glycosides) are
the main/active constituents of the products that herbalists prescribe
today. I cite empirical evidence that the cultivation of foodstuffs has
"watered down" the bitter and pungent chemical load, favouring sweet and
salty tastes. This has resulted in a diet in contemporary humans, which is
lacking in these compounds, and therefore lacking in the protection that
these bitter and pungent compounds provide.
What do list members have to comment?
2. I also point out, that the paleodiet consisted of a food source of up to
1500 species, with 500 major "vegetables" and that the contemporary diet is
drawn from 200 species, with only 80 major "vegetables". Whilst I am always
dubious of such numbers, I cannot recall which reference I used to derive
these figures. I think the point is useful to make to my students, but
wonder whether I'm using erroneous figures, or if I'm right off the track.
Any assistance, criticism or comments would be helpful.
3. Thanks for the stimulating diversions into dietary habits. I've been
trying to interest the nutrition lecturer in this area, but I think she
thinks I'm a bit strange, bringing up the paleodiet in 1997. I thought I'd
heard of every diet imaginable, having been involved in alternative medicine
for almost 20 years, but I've learned a lot from these discussions.
4. In passing, my background is in traditional and alternative medicine,
with formal university degrees in biology & ecology and sociology. My final
questions relate to a teaching and research interest regarding the
application of herbs in healing. When is the first evidence for the use of
plant material in healing? What sort of practices or technologies were used
in the application of plants (or animal bits, or minerals for that matter)
in healing?
Any comments would be welcomed.
Regards
Michael Schubert
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Michael Schubert
School of Natural & Complementary Medicine
Southern Cross University
P.O. Box 157, Lismore N.S.W. 2480
AUSTRALIA
Tel: (066) 20 3649 International: 61-66-203649
Fax: (066) 20 3904 International: 61-66-203904
Visit us at http://www.scu.edu.au
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