On Tue, 18 Jan 2000, alexs wrote:

> But all primates -- man, baboons, apes --suffer from inborn hypoascorbemia,
> the metabolic inability to generate endogenously the ascorbate ion. So it's
> only to be expected that the nonhuman primates also share Man's
> stress-related diseases, most if not all of which deplete body ascorbate
> levels, leading to impaired immune function, lipo (a) deposits
> onto damaged/weakened arterial walls, etc.

I note that the Pauling-Rath "prescription" for protection
against cardiovascular disease is 3-6g/day of ascorbate and
lysine (see http://www.paulingtherapy.com/, for example).  If you
look at the research on arginine-derived nitric oxide that is
summarized in the book _The Arginine Solution_, you'll find that
the recommended daily intake of arginine is in the same range.

Using USDA values, eating about 8 ounces of beef (= about 227g)
will yield 4.9g of lysine and 3.6g of arginine, which is within
the therapeutic range.  Nuts are also good sources of arginine,
and fair sources of lysine.

Getting gram levels of ascorbate in the context of a paleo diet
is another matter.  It looks pretty hard to do.  But a case can
be made that the unusual stresses of civilized life create a need
("artificial" but real) for higher levels of ascorbate intake
than can be achieved by diet alone.

Interesting stuff.

Todd Moody
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