On Food and Cooking

antioxidants,   some    of  which   resemble

human   hormones    and may restrain    cell

growth  and thereby the development of

cancer

Medical scientists are still in the early stages
of identifying and evaluating these
substances, but in general it looks as though
regular consumption of whole grains,
legumes, and nuts can indeed make a real
contribution to our long-term health.

Problems Caused by Seeds

Seeds are not perfect foods. Legumes in
particular contain defensive chemicals —
lectins and protease inhibitors — that can
cause malnourishment and other problems.
Fortunately, simple cooking disarms these
defenses (p. 259). The fava bean contains
amino-acid relatives that cause serious
anemia in susceptible people (p. 490), but