Re: Anthropophagy

allen lutins (al2032@csc.albany.edu)
23 Dec 1994 08:02:35 GMT

In article <3da1gp$r4j@canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca>,
Kevyn Loren Winkless <umwinkl0@cc.umanitoba.ca> wrote:
[...]
>But in India, those 500 million vegetarians _do_ have access to cattle
>etc,and therefore to dairy products. It _is_ difficult for the human
>body to synthesize all the amino acids it needs; in fact there are two or
>three which cannot be synthesized, and must be absorbed through food
>sources.
>As for hunted meat sources in Mesoamerica, the fact is that it would have
>worked for a while for the Aztecs to hunt for their meat (in fact this is
>probably what occured in any outlying villages) but the population
>density was such around the cities that the population of game animals
>would quickly be depleted. No domestic animals, no game animals - where
>does one get unsynthesizeable amino acids? OK, plants are a source, but
>not all of them. It would not be suprising to discover that one of the
>reasons for Aztec sacrifice was for "anthropophagy"

...i (among many others) *would* be greatly surprised...Tenochtitlan
was in the middle of the huge Lake Texcoco, and fish certainly could
supply ample protein, especially when supplemented with the numerous deer,
rabbits, coati, etc. abounding on the surrounding terrain...where do
you get the idea that there were no game animals?!? ...and there
*were* domesticated animals--including dogs and tepesquintle (the
latter a large rodent raised specifically for their food content)...

...not only does your knowledge of Mesoamerican fauna seem a bit
wanting, but you are misinterpreting my statements as well...amino
acids are the building blocks whereby *proteins* are synthesized in
the human body...and there are no amino acids which occur
exclusively in animal sources, although some are certainly more
abundant there...

...there are other nutrient requirements which are difficult to derive
from a purely vegetarian diet (for example, certain minimum levels of
fat), but these are available in great quantity in fish...

-- 

 "Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?  Are they not the ones

  who are dragging you into court?"              -- James 2:6 [NIV]

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 allen `alley cat' lutins                  al2032@cnsunix.albany.edu