How humans are not physically created to eat meat | |
Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 4901221 Australia 11/15/2012 07:30 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | The most common arguments that meat eaters use. "Humans have canine teeth. End of story." The truth is our so-called "canine teeth" are canine in name only. Humans' "canine teeth" are unlike the canine teeth of actual canines, which are really long and really pointed. Our teeth are absolutely not like theirs. In fact, other vegetarian animals (like gorillas, horses, hippos, and chimpanzees) possess the same so-called "canine" teeth, which are often used for defensive purposes rather than for eating. Check out the chimpanzee picture at right, and consider that chimps' diets are up to 99% vegetarian (and what litle non-vegetarian food they eat usually isn't meat, it's termites). And remember that we're most similar to chimps than to any other animal. John A. McDougall, M.D., has a good take on this: Our dentition evolved for processing starches, fruits, and vegetables, not tearing and masticating flesh. Our oft-cited "canine" teeth are not at all comparable to the sharp teeth of true carnivores. I lecture to over 10,000 dentists, dental hygienists, and oral specialists every year, and I always ask them to show me the “canine” teeth in a person’s mouth – those that resemble a cat’s or dog’s teeth – I am still waiting to be shown the first example of a sharply pointed canine tooth. If you have any doubt of the truth of this observation then go look in the mirror right now – you may have learned to call your 4 corner front teeth, “canine teeth” – but in no way do they resemble the sharp, jagged, blades of a true carnivore – your corner teeth are short, blunted, and flat on top (or slightly rounded at most). Nor do they ever function in the manner of true canine teeth. Have you ever observed someone purposely favoring these teeth while tearing off a piece of steak or chewing it? Nor have I. The lower jaw of a meat-eating animal has very little side-to-side motion – it is fixed to open and close, which adds strength and stability to its powerful bite. Like other plant-eating animals our jaw can move forwards and backwards, and side-to-side, as well as open and close, for biting off pieces of plant matter, and then grinding them into smaller pieces with our flat molars. I love the canine argument because the people who make it place so much importance on it, insisting that humans having canines immediately wins the whole argument, all by itself, case closed! But when they discover that they were wrong, then suddenly the canine issue really wasn't so important to them after all, and they simply move on to their next misconception, as though their previous argument never happened. That really lays their motivations bare: They were never really interested in evaluating the evidence, they were only interested in being right. But really, if someone thinks that canine teeth are the be-all and end-all of the herbivore vs. omnivore debate, then when they find out that they're wrong about teeth, that ought to tell them something. But does it ever? Nope. If you want an evidence of bias, there you have it. "Humans have always eaten meat." No, we haven't. Just because we assume that humans have always eaten meat doesn't make it true. I'll provide evidence for this shortly. But what's more important is that unlike other animals, humans can act outside of instinct. That means that if early humans did eat meat, they were simply making an interesting choice, not doing what their biology favors. We really have to look at our digestive system to get the best evidence for what we're optimized for eating, not what some humans chose to eat. Otherwise, thousands of years from now anthropologists might conclude that eating McDonald's is natural because humans circa 2011 used to eat a lot of it. I'll cover the early human diet in more detail momentarily. "We're capable of eating meat, therefore we're omnivores. Case closed." Okay, fine, then cats are omnivores, too. ("Case closed.") Commercial cat foods, both wet and dry, contain things like rice, corn, and wheat. In fact, some people feed their cats a pure vegan diet with no meat at all. But of course, cats are true carnivores. We don't call them omnivores just because they'll eat things contrary to what nature intended. That would be silly. No one makes that argument for cats. But they make it for humans, enthusiastically. However, they can't have it both ways: Either we don't assume humans are omnivores just because we can eat meat, or we apply the same standard to other animals and conclude that cats are omnivores, too. Which is it? "Humans are omnivores." Then what exactly is an omnivore? If it's an animal that is capable of eating both plants and animals, and ever does so, then sure, we're omnivores, but then again, so are cats. (See above.) A true omnivore would have a body optimized for eating both plants and animals. With non-humans we can look at what they eat in the wild to figure out their preferred diets, but humans lost our instincts long ago, so we can look only at our anatomy and digestive systems. And that evidence is compelling. I'll cover the omnivore issue in more detail below. "You're not a doctor, therefore you must be wrong. Yay, I win!" It's funny, the people making this charge aren't doctors either, but somehow they don't feel that being a doctor is neccessary to advance their positions. In any event, bona-fide doctors say the same kinds of things I say in this article. For example, here's an article by Dr. John McDougall and one by Dr. Milton R. Mills (both M.D.'s). I wonder whether the people who send me hate mail about this article and tell me I'm an idiot would feel just as confident in telling these two doctors that the doctors are idiots, too? "Vitamin B12. End of story." I'm not joking when I tack on "End of story" to the sample counter-arguments. People actually make them that way, literally. B12 isn't made by animals, it's made by bacteria. It's found where things are unclean. (And meat is dirty.) This easily explains why historically it's been easy to get B12, because until recently we didn't live in a sanitized environment. Plants pulled from the ground and not washed scrupulously have B12 from the surrounding soil. Vegans should take a B12 supplement, not because veganism is unnatural, but because the modern diet is too clean to contain reliable natural sources of dirty B12. B12 is also found in lakes, before the water is sanitized. Also, consider that chimpanzees' main non-plant food is termites, and termites are loaded with B12. Incidentally, our need for B12 is tiny -- 3 micrograms a day. Not milligrams, micrograms. The amount of B12 you need for your entire life is smaller than four grains of rice. (More on Vitamin B12 from John McDougall, M.D) "Other primates eat meat." Hardly. Various sources (below) say that a chimp's diet is 95-99% plant foods, and the primary non-plant food isn't meat, it's termites. We also have to remember that primates are intelligent and can make choices outside of instinct, just like humans do, so the tiny amount of meat they might eat could simply be due to choice, not instinct. The idea that primates are a good example for why humans should eat meat evidently didn't impress the most famous primate researcher of all time, Jane Goodall. Goodall is a vegetarian. I cover the primate diet in more detail bolew. "You're not considering evolution." Of course I'm not. Humans' hunting skills are relatively recent in our history but evolution takes place over a much longer period of time. In short, we haven't been hunting for long enough for our anatomy to favor a mixed plant-animal diet. Human performance on meat-free diets Not only do vegetarians and vegans easily build muscle, they often excel as athletes too, winning Olympic gold medals and world championships. In fact, some of the most famous bodybuilders in history were vegetarian. Here's a short list of vegan and vegetarian athletes. Vegan Kenneth G. Williams (bodybuilder) 3rd place at 2004 Natural Olympia Bill Mannetti (powerlifter) 1st place, Connecticut State Powerlifting Championship Robert Cheeke (bodybuilder) Joy Bush (powerlifter) 1st place, Connecticut State Powerlifting Championship Jon Hinds (bodybuilder, personal trainer) Charlie Abel (bodybuilder) Mike Mahler (strength coach) ""Becoming a vegan had a profound effect on my training. … [M]y bench press excelled past 315 pounds...and I put on 10 pounds of lean muscle in a few months." Mac Danzig (martial arts) MMA record 19-7-1 (as of 4-2010) Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons tight end) Scott Jurek (ultramarathoner) 7 consecutive wins at Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, numerous other first place finishes and records Tim VanOrden (runner) Numerous 1st place finishes Fiona Oakes (runner) 1st place woman and 2nd overall in a 2011 marathon Ruth Heidrich, (triathlete and marathoner) More than 900 first-place trophies and set several performance records. Named One of the 10 Fittest Women in North America. Dave Scott (triathlete) Six-time Ironman champion Brendan Brazier (triathlete). Won the National 50km Ultra Marathon Championships Carl Lewis (track) Numerous gold medals (2 as a vegan) Salim Stoudamire (basketball). Atlanta Hawks Christine Vardaros (cycling) Vegetarian Bill Pearl (bodybuilder) Mr. Universe (3 times), World's Best Built Man, Mr. America, Mr. California, numerous Halls of Fame Roy Hilligenn (bodybuilder) Mr. South Africa (4x), Mr. America, Olympic lifter Ricky Williams (football) Miami Dolphins The research on veg vs. non-veg athletes is fairly sparse, but what does exist has failed to show any clear performance benefit for meat-eaters. (See my separate article, Protein and Strength.) |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27793710 Luxembourg 11/15/2012 07:32 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Laura Bow User ID: 1158661 United States 11/15/2012 07:32 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Meat Eating Behind Evolutionary Success of Humankind, Global Population Spread, Study Suggests ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2012) — Carnivory is behind the evolutionary success of humankind. When early humans started to eat meat and eventually hunt, their new, higher-quality diet meant that women could wean their children earlier. Women could then give birth to more children during their reproductive life, which is a possible contribution to the population gradually spreading over the world. The connection between eating meat and a faster weaning process is shown by a research group from Lund University in Sweden, which compared close to 70 mammalian species and found clear patterns. Learning to hunt was a decisive step in human evolution. Hunting necessitated communication, planning and the use of tools, all of which demanded a larger brain. At the same time, adding meat to the diet made it possible to develop this larger brain. "This has been known for a long time. However, no one has previously shown the strong connection between meat eating and the duration of breast-feeding, which is a crucial piece of the puzzle in this context. Eating meat enabled the breast-feeding periods and thereby the time between births, to be shortened. This must have had a crucial impact on human evolution," says Elia Psouni of Lund University. More at [link to www.sciencedaily.com] |
Laura Bow User ID: 1158661 United States 11/15/2012 07:35 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Eating Meat Made Us Human, Suggests New Skull Fossil Fragments of a 1.5-million-year-old skull from a child recently found in Tanzania suggest early hominids weren't just occasional carnivores but regular meat eaters, researchers say. The finding helps build the case that meat-eating helped the human lineage evolve large brains, scientists added. "I know this will sound awful to vegetarians, but meat made us human," said researcher Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, an archaeologist at Complutense University in Madrid. Past research suggested prehuman hominids such as australopithecines may have eaten some meat. However, it is the regular consumption of meat that often is thought to have triggered major changes in the human lineage, the genus Homo, with this high-energy food supporting large human brains. More at [link to www.livescience.com] |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27794022 United States 11/15/2012 07:37 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 3767410 New Zealand 11/15/2012 07:37 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Laura Bow User ID: 1158661 United States 11/15/2012 07:41 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 26785402 United States 11/15/2012 07:42 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 4901221 Australia 11/15/2012 07:46 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 21257388 United States 11/15/2012 07:46 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
chuckslik User ID: 27694053 Canada 11/15/2012 07:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | If I wasn't meant to eat meat...then why do I have 4 Canine (2 on top, 2 on bottom)? Those teeth were designed to rip and shred a fat juicy T-Bone! Why else would I have those teeth? To look cool?! some drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle |
1908247 User ID: 27829085 Brazil 11/15/2012 07:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27834799 United States 11/15/2012 07:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27834799 United States 11/15/2012 07:48 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 21919315 United States 11/15/2012 07:52 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Meat Eating Behind Evolutionary Success of Humankind, Global Population Spread, Study Suggests Quoting: Laura Bow ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2012) — Carnivory is behind the evolutionary success of humankind. When early humans started to eat meat and eventually hunt, their new, higher-quality diet meant that women could wean their children earlier. Women could then give birth to more children during their reproductive life, which is a possible contribution to the population gradually spreading over the world. The connection between eating meat and a faster weaning process is shown by a research group from Lund University in Sweden, which compared close to 70 mammalian species and found clear patterns. Learning to hunt was a decisive step in human evolution. Hunting necessitated communication, planning and the use of tools, all of which demanded a larger brain. At the same time, adding meat to the diet made it possible to develop this larger brain. "This has been known for a long time. However, no one has previously shown the strong connection between meat eating and the duration of breast-feeding, which is a crucial piece of the puzzle in this context. Eating meat enabled the breast-feeding periods and thereby the time between births, to be shortened. This must have had a crucial impact on human evolution," says Elia Psouni of Lund University. More at [link to www.sciencedaily.com] Eating Meat Made Us Human, Suggests New Skull Fossil Quoting: Laura Bow Fragments of a 1.5-million-year-old skull from a child recently found in Tanzania suggest early hominids weren't just occasional carnivores but regular meat eaters, researchers say. The finding helps build the case that meat-eating helped the human lineage evolve large brains, scientists added. "I know this will sound awful to vegetarians, but meat made us human," said researcher Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, an archaeologist at Complutense University in Madrid. Past research suggested prehuman hominids such as australopithecines may have eaten some meat. However, it is the regular consumption of meat that often is thought to have triggered major changes in the human lineage, the genus Homo, with this high-energy food supporting large human brains. More at [link to www.livescience.com] |
Politicas User ID: 27596253 United States 11/15/2012 07:54 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27828792 Australia 11/15/2012 07:57 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | the worlds oldest recorded man was Habib Mian who died in 2008, he was 138 years old and he claimed he was vegetarian for 120 years of his life! exsplain that one! Quoting: Anonymous Coward 4901221 check out longevity in vegetarian dogs! they live longer, more healthy lives yet they are mainly carnivorous in nature! |
Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 4901221 Australia 11/15/2012 07:57 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27793710 Luxembourg 11/15/2012 07:59 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | the worlds oldest recorded man was Habib Mian who died in 2008, he was 138 years old and he claimed he was vegetarian for 120 years of his life! exsplain that one! Quoting: Anonymous Coward 4901221 check out longevity in vegetarian dogs! they live longer, more healthy lives yet they are mainly carnivorous in nature! shut the fuck up aussie |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 15544651 Canada 11/15/2012 07:59 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 26102938 Australia 11/15/2012 07:59 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | the worlds oldest recorded man was Habib Mian who died in 2008, he was 138 years old and he claimed he was vegetarian for 120 years of his life! exsplain that one! Quoting: Anonymous Coward 4901221 oh well there you go, if you're vegetarian, you are GUARANTEED to live to 138 because that one guy did!!! |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 12064276 United States 11/15/2012 07:59 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 16158284 United States 11/15/2012 08:00 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27833324 New Zealand 11/15/2012 08:01 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | The most common arguments that meat eaters use. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 4901221 "Humans have canine teeth. End of story." The truth is our so-called "canine teeth" are canine in name only. Humans' "canine teeth" are unlike the canine teeth of actual canines, which are really long and really pointed. Our teeth are absolutely not like theirs. In fact, other vegetarian animals (like gorillas, horses, hippos, and chimpanzees) possess the same so-called "canine" teeth, which are often used for defensive purposes rather than for eating. Check out the chimpanzee picture at right, and consider that chimps' diets are up to 99% vegetarian (and what litle non-vegetarian food they eat usually isn't meat, it's termites). And remember that we're most similar to chimps than to any other animal. Chimps actually hunt, terrorise and eat their own kind in the wild. Though admittedly not every day. But they most definitely are cannibals at times, as were many many many indigenous humans the world over. Some points in the article may be valid but the overall tone reeks of propaganda/cherry picking the facts and looking at raw "nature" through rose tinted glasses. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 16158284 United States 11/15/2012 08:01 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Laura Bow User ID: 1158661 United States 11/15/2012 08:03 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | the worlds oldest recorded man was Habib Mian who died in 2008, he was 138 years old and he claimed he was vegetarian for 120 years of his life! exsplain that one! Quoting: Anonymous Coward 4901221 check out longevity in vegetarian dogs! they live longer, more healthy lives yet they are mainly carnivorous in nature! That just sounds cruel :( |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 27795701 United States 11/15/2012 08:03 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | My friends son is allergic to ALL meat besides fish, even allergic to milk. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 27834799 We joke about it saying god wants him to be vegan. xD I'm wondering if grass/range-fed meats were tried and if there were allergic reactions or to them I have trouble with non-grass/range fed meat. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 24433009 United States 11/15/2012 08:04 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | HUMANS ARE NOT PHYSICALLY CREATED TO EAT REFINED CARBOHYDRATES. SOME PEOPLE GET TYPE 2 DIABETES FROM EATING TOO MANY REFINED CARBOHYDRATES AND HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ADD MEAT INTO THEIR DIET OR THEY WOULD HAVE VERY LITTLE TO EAT. I CAN ASSURE YOU HUMANS ARE GENETICALLY ADAPTED TO EAT MEAT. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 24433009 United States 11/15/2012 08:05 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 2913820 Australia 11/15/2012 08:05 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |