you are what you eat (was RE: Dinosaurus Sapiens)

Eugene Leitl (Eugene.Leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
Thu, 28 Nov 1996 20:41:22 +0100 (MET)


On Wed, 27 Nov 1996, James Rogers wrote:

> [...]
> Several studies have been done on the impact of diet on intelligence. The

Many vegans are raising little vegan retards. Irreversible, of course.
Here Darwin is truly generous, granting the stupid even more stupidity.

Apropos diet, some Indian practice(d) coprophagia (in dehydrated form ;),
to make symbiont-synthesized cobalamine (lack of which causes pernicious
anaemia) from intestine flora better bioavailable. The attempt of yogis
to recycle melatonine (already discussed on this list) is noteworthy as
well.

Well, live and learn.

Apropos melatonine, if you are <50 Yrs, don't take it as bolus, use
sustained release form, which doesn't give a stratospheric, but short
serum spike. The receptor concentration is being homeostased, resulting in
adaptation. This might result in a "Dorian Grey" effect, if the dose is
lowered. In one anecdotal case, it resulted in doubling of the therapeutic
dosage after 4 years, I think somebody on this list/CryoNet said he
experienced similiar symptoms.

> lack of seafood in a diet (especially from saltwater sources) has been shown
> to have direct impacts on the average intelligence of a population. These
> compounds are especially important during childhood.
>
> Iodine is a case in point. Naturally, iodine is found almost exclusively in
> seafood sources. There is a region in inland China where 1 in 8 people is
> technically mentally retarded, and few people in the region have "normal"
> intelligence. As a whole, the average IQ of people in this region is far
> below the human average. The reason has been determined to be iodine
> deficiency. They have no access to sources of iodine in their diet. They
> are genetically normally, but lack of a key compound has rendered them less
> intelligent than their genetically determined capability. Unfortunately,
> the effects of this are structural and irreversible.

Most of Bavaria, Southern Krautland, has been leached almost free of
iodate in the last glacial. Hence, the population, especially the mountain
village inhabitants suffer(ed) from iodine deficiency, which results in
slight mental retardation (which was further aggravated by inbreeding,
especially in mountain valleys) and hypertrophy of the thyroidal
("Kropf"). Interestingly, part of local folklore groups' garb is a kind
of necklace (hung with small silver coins) designed to conceal/ornate the
hypertrophy. (I forgot the name of the piece, but it has "kropf" in it).

Though iodate/fluorine fortified salt is being sold on the market, sea
fish iodine is considered to be most bioavailable. Eating sea fish one
time a week will also further supply such essential microelements, as
(methyl)mercury, cadmium, and plutonium (if you happen to to live near
the scenic Windscale), PCP, and pesticide metabolites, which like binding
to your hormone receptors, which makes your homeobox somewhat puzzled in
utero. (Boys will be girls, and all that).

> Fortunately for many developed countries, iodine is artificially introduced
> into the diet so that this is not a problem. This may also be why countries
> with high seafood diets also are among the highest in raw IQ as well.

Another reason to keep your iodine depot well stocked (and held a couple
of iodate tablets in the cupboard) is the radioiod from reactor cores,
seriously gone China. Those children in the Ukraine (which happens to be
virtually depleted from iodine as well) got their (activated) iodine
supplements as airborne particles. Ever seen firefly kids, glowing in the
dark?

> The introduction nootropics into the proto-human diet was very likely
> responsible for the advance of our species. I don't know too much about the
> mushroom theory, but the seafood theory does seem plausible. AFAIK, humans

Siberian (and probably Scandinavian) Amanita muscaria is psychactive
(but the effects are somewhat drastic, so take care), and was used by
Tungus shamans in their rituals. Yogi's recycling trick was practiced
here, too, as muscarine & Co are virtually nonbiodegradable.

> are the only primates that eat seafood.

Humans will eat about anything, especially in a pinch.

> -James Rogers
> jamesr@best.com

ciao,
'gene