Ashley Moran wrote:

> On Jun 28, 2004, at 2:50 pm, Todd Moody wrote:
>
>> If we say, then, that a potato is a low-quality food item mainly
>> because
>> it is a highly concentrated carbohydrate (but no more highly
>> concentrated than a banana), then indeed we should welcome a lower-carb
>> potato.
>
>
> I can't help but feel that this attitude is similar to wanting to breed
> a gluten-free wheat grain, a lectin-free peanut or a
> phyto-oestrogen-free soy bean.  If we did not evolve to eat a plant for
> even one specific reason, that means we are unprepared for *all* of its
> contents.

I probably shouldn't be on this list any longer, since I no longer think
I really understand what it means to say that we "evolved to eat a
plant."  Humans and their hominid predecessors have scattered around the
world, into various environments, and in doing so have *constantly* been
in the position of encountering and exploiting plant foods different
from those of the African savanna.

Substances such as phytoestrogens are not found only in soybeans, but
also in "paleo" foods such as certain nuts and berries, and even apples,
although in lower quantities.  The same is true of lectins.  What
distinguishes the edible from the inedible is not the absolute absence
or presence of such compounds but their concentration.  If we can breed
plants in which the concentration of problematic substances is lower,
why not do so?


> I will dare to say that it is quite possible we did eat raw tubers in
> some amount.  I suspect that if we didn't, they would be a common
> allergen, seeing how widely eaten they are.  (Someone with more
> biological knowledge may be able to pick me up on this.)  However, we
> definitely did no evolve eating baked potatoes, chips, crisps or any
> other such junk.  And when did you last see someone eat a raw potato?


We had this discussion on here years ago, and I was surprised to learn
that quite a few people eat raw potatoes, including former list
members.  But again, I have come to question the whole "edible raw" rule.


> My other thought is that I always thought that potatoes were "new
> world".  Does anyone know what edible tubers are native to Africa and
> Eurasia?


Yams are certainly one, and I believe Wrangham identifies several
dozen.  Indeed, potatoes (and tomotoes) are New World foods, but not
everyone thinks they must be avoided for that reason.  Audette, for
example, uses tomatoes in his recipes.

> An experiment I would like to see even more is to measure the glycemic
> load of such a smashed up-tuber.


It would be interesting.  We might want to avoid a food because of its
glycemic load, but there is no reason at all to suppose hunter-gatherers
ever did so.

Todd Moody
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