> 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.