On Monday, November 8, 2004, at 05:41 PM, Persephone O'Donnell wrote:
> Many foodstuffs have complex cocktails of natural chemicals, not all of
> which are nutrients, especially in plants where many were designed to
> protect the plant from being eaten. I don't think it's safe to assume
> that
> a substance must have some purpose in the body just because it's part
> of
> something we can eat.


My example was trans-fatty acids, which are found in milk and meat.
Milk is specifically designed for a baby's growth. Nothing goes into it
but what the baby needs. Animals as well produce in their bodies what
they need to survive. Maybe we adults don't need any at all, maybe we
do. But from a paleo perspective we are adapted to it either way.

I think what you said is true as regards to plants.

> P.S. Have scientists any way of telling how hominid groups spread
> around
> the world? How can we tell what we are adapted to except by testing the
> foods on ourselves and seeing how it affects us? As you can see, I know
> nothing at all about this area!
>
>
There are gene tests that can tell a little, give general ideas of the
flow. We are none of us very distantly separated though, 40-50,000
years for the most distant groups. But even that isn't really true any
more with modern mixing. Most distant from European populations are the
Australian Aboriginals, but since the invasion of Australia these
groups have mixed extensively again. Same is true of South Africans,
American Indians, every isolated population is in modern times remixing
with outside populations. We are not far apart and are getting more
closely related every day.

Just think about European history. How many invasions from Asia are
recorded in just the last few thousand years? Just the ones we know of
since recorded history? Huns and Mongols, Turks, Magyars. More that I
can't recall off hand. Arab armies controlled Spain for 800 years and
invaded as far as central France. Huns also made it that far for a
short time. They must have left behind genetic 'presents'. Roman armies
made up of members from across the empire controlled Europe to the
Rhine and England up to Scotland. There is no way of knowing who was
among your ancestors.

I read recently that Pacific Islanders are now 30% genetically from
outside, the result of two centuries of sailors visits. I suppose
modern tourism is continuing this effect. In the city day care my
daughter attends in Japan there are kids from the US, Iran, Korea,
China, Ireland, Vietnam.

So I don't think many of us can tell much about what foods we are
adapted to by our homelands.