Re: an interesting little tidbit about our cheap food

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/9/03 2:49:45 AM Eastern Standard Time,

heidis@... writes:

> Casein and gluten both affect the brain. I guess he should have

> kefired the milk first. Ah well, by the time he got to the Caucuses

> it was probably too late ...

They DID ferment their milk. Guess it didn't work ;-)

Chris

[Guest guest]

>>Genghis Khan was pretty brutal, and he was drinking raw horse milk.

>>

>>Chris

>

>Could be lactose too. Both grain and dairy are the newest in human

>historical consumption. Both increased populations of peoples using them

>therefore more land was needed to grow or graze.

>

>Wanita

Casein and gluten both affect the brain. I guess he should have

kefired the milk first. Ah well, by the time he got to the Caucuses

it was probably too late ...

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

>I don't think that's true. Cattle-herding populations have mostly been

>rather benign. The main exception is horse-herding population, and the

reason is

>not due to food, but due to the benefits horses offer to waging war.

Likely there were problems somewhere in history when the agriculturists

needed land the nomadic herdspeople happened to be on at the time.

Eventually it was combined so everyone has a stationary life. As for the

horse herders, l agree on the destruction to other people by men out for

war on a horse's back. Asian people still don't do well with dairy.

>Grain is a whole 'nother story, because it can be stored indefinitely,

unlike

>dairy, and therefore allows major increases in stratification, and

>non-food-producing classes to develop.

Ergot fungus on rye in coastal areas of Europe is linked to massive

poisonings leading entire villages to delusional hallucinations. Like

werewolves and the fear that led to mass killings of wolves on this continent.

Wanita

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/9/03 6:52:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,

liberty@... writes:

> The Turks and the Mongols do, though I think it's kind

> of silly of us to attribute people's warlike tendencies

> to their diets.

I do to. I wasn't sure whether the comments in this thread on the subject

were entirely serious or part tongue-in-cheek. Clearly there is a difference

between skilled but viscious warriors, and the irrational anger and temper

tantrums induced by severe allergy problems. If the Mongols were allergic to

their

fermented mare's milk, they probably wouldn't have been such clever and

skilled conquerors.

However, there is definitely relation to food, just not eating it. The food

production is an important factor in the socioeconomopolitical development of

the society. Guns Germs and Steel is a good book on this.

Chris

[Guest guest]

--- In , Wanita Sears <wanitawa@b...>

wrote:

>

> Asian people still don't do well with dairy.

The Turks and the Mongols do, though I think it's kind

of silly of us to attribute people's warlike tendencies

to their diets.

[Guest guest]

>However, there is definitely relation to food, just not eating it. The food

>production is an important factor in the socioeconomopolitical development of

>the society. Guns Germs and Steel is a good book on this.

>

>Chris

Chris:

At your suggestion, I got the book. Have not read it yet! I think

you are correct though. Foods also influence technology, as per

the articles in Wired about Aspergers.

-- Heidi