permaculture

["Ivone" <florar@terra.com.br>]

Hi All

Regards pellagra problems with an all maize diet. Alkalinity is the answer.
Just ask the Mexicans who developed maize in the first place. Until today,
tortillas are made by soaking the maize with a small amount limestone
overnight, then grinding to a paste and cooking. SO, every tortilla they eat
contains a small amount of lime.

The result is also a population with strong teeth, strong skeletons,
diseases like osteoporosis (?) is largely unknown. I often saw small old
women carrying heavy loads, and their posture was straight and up right -
the skin highly wrinkled - but no obviously no skeletal problems.

While there I wondered if the high calcium diet wouldn't create problems
with kidney stones etc. Seems they have the antidote for that one too. Nopal
!!! -the cactus common in all of Mexico (Opuntia spp!). They eat the fruit
(delicious) and more importantly they eat the young leaves as well - also
delicious, but remove the prickles first!!!

Skye
----- Original Message -----
From: <permed@nor.com.au>
To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 5:08 AM
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Permaculture and urban agriculturein Zimbabw


> >> This article discusses how the urban populations of Harare in Zimbabwe
> >> are turning to urban agriculture in reaction to the ongoing economic
> >> collapse of their country
> >> http://allafrica.com/stories/200211040448.html
> >> The main crop talked about is maize.
> >
> >As populations become increasingly dependent on maize, pellagra is a
danger.
> >Are people taking steps to avoid this? Gary Nabhan relates stories about
> >pellagra in Italy in the 1700 & 1800's,
> > I love maize, but the African mealies leave me wanting...
> >-Rick
>
> In Mollison's book of ferment & nutrition he notes that an alkaline
> substance needs to be used when cooking maize, e.g. a little wood ash, to
> render the proteins digestable. Pellagra is already a big problem in
> Africa due to maize-based diet.
> Robyn
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