On Fri, 10 Jul 1998, T. Martin wrote: > I also wonder how much of a threat modern legumes (those edible raw) > pose, given that paleo HGs apparently (again, according to Eaton) > consumed an extraordinary diversity of plant types. I would think that > we had developed some kind of tolerance for small-to-moderate amounts > of unfamiliar non-toxic plant foods. I find it more believable that > grains and legumes are threatening in the absurd quantities that > agricultural humans tend to consume them. What may be even more threatening is the fact that they are eaten in these quantities as *substitutes* for animal proteins. The situation with respect to grains may be more difficult, since wild grains, with certain exceptions are too labor-intensive to gather and must be sprouted to be edible, for the most part. Quinoa is interesting in that botanically it is a fruit and not a grain at all. I'm not sure how relevant this is, however. Todd Moody [log in to unmask]