On Sat, 27 Jun 1998, Mary wrote:

> On another list, a person wrote that HGer 's lifespan was only 20 or so
> years. Can anyone comment on the lifespan of HGers?
>
> I wrote:
> >
> > Man and woman ate this way for millions of years before agriculture. WHY do
> > you have to have any carbs? Don't studies show that Hunter Gatherers ate a
> > ketogenic diet and thrived--healthy bones, teeth, bodies, etc.
>  So, what is the argument in favor of carbs?

I don't think studies show that H-Gs typically ate a ketogenic
diet.  It seems that some known H-G groups, such as the Eskimos
and Plains Indians, ate a ketogenic diet, but that does not
appear to be the rule.

I think there is still debate about osteoporosis and Eskimos.

I think one argument in favor of carbs is aesthetic.  They add
pleasing flavors to the diet.  Many fruits, nuts, and vegetables
are delicious.  This doesn't mean that we can't live without
them, but it is a powerful reason to eat them, unless you shun
the pleasures of the palate.

Another argument is the "phytonutrient" content of some carbs.
Fruits and nuts in particular turn up repeatedly as advantageous
in epidemiological studies.  Again, this doesn't mean that you
can't live without them, but it provides an additional reason to
eat them.

I think the evils of carbs are not related to carbs generally but
to the particular kinds of carbs that we have come to use as
staples in recent times.

Todd Moody
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