Peanuts are *more* toxic than PCBs.  From what I've learned so far, it
depends upon whether (1) the person eating the peanut has a legume allergy
and (2) the processing of the peanut.  Yes, even organic peanut butter is
horrible because heat denatures the fat and protein(i.e. it turns 'healing'
foods into 'killing' foods).  Even low-temperature organic peanut butter is
horrible because to crush the peanut into butter requires friction which, by
definition, causes heat.

As far as the cashews, if you have to heat the pod to get the cashews out,
then they're poisonous because of the heat applied and not due to their
relation to the poison ivy plant.  (Or maybe not.  Maybe Mother Nature made
them poisonous because she knew it would be harmful for us to eat them.)

As far as the paleo diet is concerned, are all legumes off limit?  Even soy?
  Can we make a list of legumes?  So far we have corn (or is this considered
a grain), cashews, peanuts, beans (e.g. soy, pinto, etc...).


>From: Troy Gilchrist <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Paleolithic Eating Support List <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [P-F] fat
>Date: Sat, 13 Nov 1999 10:34:43 -0600
>
> > I have a question.  Appearantly, hardline paleo dieters don't eat some
>nuts
> > because they're actually legumes.  What nuts are these (I've heard
>peanuts
> > mentioned before)?  Why do paleo dieters think these legumes are bad for
>our
> > bodies?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Justin Hasselman
> >
>
>As mentioned earlier, peanuts are one of the most significant sources of
>aflatoxin in the American diet--corn is the #1 source. Aflatoxin is
>extremely carcinogenic, much more so than PCB's (environmental pollutants).
>If I recall the Bruce Ames cancer causation articles correctly, a peanut
>butter and jelly sandwich is statistically more carcinogenic than a
>cigarette because of the peanut butter's aflatoxin content.
>
>The cashew plant is another non-paleo "nut." It is a close relative of the
>poison ivy plant. To harvest cashews, you must release them from the pods
>in
>which they grow. To do so you must heat the pods to degrade the oils they
>contain. If you don't heat the pods and use gloves to harvest them, you'll
>get a poison ivy type reaction.
>
>Troy G.

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