On Fri, 31 Jul 1998, John Miller wrote:

> I don't understand.   Peanuts can be eaten raw.  This is the way I prefered
> them as a kid.   They are therefore a paleo food.

That is correct.  It is a fact that peanuts can be infected with
the aspergillus mold, which creates aflatoxins under humid
storage conditions.  This danger is not limited to peanuts and
corn, however.  Aspergillus also infects regular tree nuts.
I don't know whether the fact that cows consume massive
quantities of corn is significant from the standpoint of
aflatoxin.  If anything, I'd expect the toxins to accumulate in
the liver, which would be yet another reason to avoid eating beef
liver.

In any event, the Adventist study, which looks at many causes of
mortality and not just cardiac mortality, still links nut
consumption, including peanuts, with reduced risk.

Todd Moody
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