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While various vegetarian and vegan authorities like to think that we evolved as a species on a vegan or vegetarian diet, there exists little from the realm of nutritional anthropology to support these ideas. To begin with, in his journeys Dr Price never once found a totally vegetarian culture. It should be remembered that Dr Price visited and investigated several population groups who were, for all intents and purposes, the 20th-century equivalents of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Dr Price was on the lookout for a vegetarian culture, but he came up empty. Price stated: As yet I have not found a single group of primitive racial stock which was building and maintaining excellent bodies by living entirely on plant foods.” While various vegetarian and vegan authorities like to think that Furthermore, a survey of cookbooks published in America in we evolved as a species on a vegan or vegetarian diet, there exists the 19th and early 20th centuries shows that people of earlier little from the realm of nutritional anthropology to support these times ate plenty of animal foods and saturated fats. For example, ideas. in the Baptist Ladies Cook Book (Monmouth, Illinois, 1895), vir- To begin with, in his journeys Dr Price never once found a tually every recipe calls for butter, cream or lard. Recipes for totally vegetarian culture. It should be remembered that Dr Price creamed vegetables are numerous as well. A scan of the visited and investigated several population groups who were, for Searchlight Recipe Book (Capper Publications, 1931) also has all intents and purposes, the 20th-century equivalents of our similar recipes: creamed liver, creamed cucumbers, hearts braised hunter-gatherer ancestors. Dr Price was on the lookout for a in buttermilk, etc. British Jews, as shown by the Jewish vegetarian culture, but he came up empty. Price stated: Housewives Cookbook (London, 1846), also had diets rich in As yet I have not found a single group of primitive racial cream, butter, eggs, and lamb and beef tallows. One recipe for stock which was building and maintaining excellent bodies by German waffles, for example, calls for a dozen egg yolks and an living entirely on plant foods.” entire pound of butter. A recipe for oyster pie from the Baptist cookbook calls for a quart of cream and a dozen eggs, and so forth Anthropological data support this. Throughout the globe, all and so on. societies show a preference for animal foods and fats, and it It does not appear, then, that people ate leaner diets in the last seems that our ancestors only turned to large-scale farming when century. It is true that beef consumption has risen in the last few they had to, due to increased population pres- decades, but what has also risen precipitously, sures.'° Abrams and other authorities have however, is consumption of margarine and shown that prehistoric man's quest for more other food products containing trans-fatty animal foods was what spurred his expansion acids,'” lifeless, packaged "foods", processed over the Earth, and that he apparently hunted vegetable oils,'” carbohydrates'® and refined certain species to extinction.’ sugar.'” Price also found that those peoples who out While the traditionall Since one does not see chronic diseases like of necessity consumed more grains and cancer and heart disease in beef-eating native legumes, had higher rates of dental decay fermented soy foods of peoples like the Masai and Samburu, it is not than those who consumed more animal prod- . t . t h possible for beef to be the culprit behind these ucts. In his papers on vegetarianism, Abrams miso, tamari, empe modern epidemics. This, of course, points the presents archaeological evidence that sup- and natto are definitely finger squarely at the other dietary factors as ports this finding: skulls of ancient peoples h Ithf I . d the most likely causes. who were largely vegetarian have teeth con- ea ul in measure taining caries and abscesses and show amounts, the hyper- evidence of tuberculosis and other infec- " " tious diseases.'” The appearance of processed soy foods that most vegetarians farming and the increased dependence consume are not. MYTH #10: Soy products are adequate substitutes for meat and dairy products. It is typical for vegans and vegetarians in the Western world to rely on various soy products for their protein needs. There is little doubt the billion-dollar soy industry has profited immensely from the anti-cholesterol, anti-meat gospel of current nutritional thought. Whereas, not so long ago, soy was an Asian food primarily used as a condiment, now a that humans did not know how to cook variety of processed soy products prolif- or control fire at that time, and the great erate in the marketplace. majority of plant foods, especially grains and legumes, must be While the traditionally fermented soy foods of miso, tamari, cooked in order to render them edible to humans." Most people tempeh and natto are definitely healthful in measured amounts, do not know that many of the plant foods we consume today are the hyper-processed soy "foods" that most vegetarians consume on plant foods for our subsistence was clearly harmful to our health. Finally, it is simply not possible for our prehistoric ancestors to have been vegetarian because they would not have been able to get enough calories or nutri- ents to survive on the plant foods that were available. The reason for this is poisonous in their raw states."* are not. Based on all of this evidence, it is certain that our ancestors, the Non-fermented soybeans and foods made with them are high in progenitors of humanity, ate a very non-vegetarian diet that was _—_ phytic acid,''® an anti-nutrient that binds to minerals in the rich in saturated fatty acids. digestive tract and carries them out of the body. Vegetarians are known for their tendencies towards mineral deficiencies, MYTH #9: Meat and saturated fat consumption have especially of zinc,'' and it is the high phytate content of grain- increased in the 20th century, with a corresponding and legume-based diets that is to blame.''? Though several increase in heart disease and cancer. traditional food-preparation techniques such as soaking, sprouting Statistics do not bear out such fancies. Butter consumption has and fermenting can significantly reduce the phytate content of plummeted from 18 Ib (8.165 kg) per person a year in 1900 to less grains and legumes,' such methods are not commonly known than 5 lb (2.27 kg) per person a year today.'* Additionally, about or used by modern peoples, including vegetarians. This Westerners, urged on by government health agencies, have _ places them (and others who eat a diet rich in whole grains) at a reduced their intake of eggs, cream, lard and pork. Chicken con- greater risk for mineral deficiencies. sumption has risen in the past few decades, but chicken is lower Processed soy foods are also rich in trypsin inhibitors, which in saturated fat than either beef or pork. hinder protein digestion. Textured vegetable protein (TVP), soy amounts, the hyper- processed soy "foods" that most vegetarians MYTH #9: Meat and saturated fat consumption have increased in the 20th century, with a corresponding increase in heart disease and cancer. Statistics do not bear out such fancies. Butter consumption has plummeted from 18 Ib (8.165 kg) per person a year in 1900 to less than 5 lb (2.27 kg) per person a year today.'* Additionally, Westerners, urged on by government health agencies, have reduced their intake of eggs, cream, lard and pork. Chicken con- sumption has risen in the past few decades, but chicken is lower in saturated fat than either beef or pork. JUNE - JULY 2002 NEXUS ¢ 37 consume are not. www.nexusmagazine.com