Humans: carnivores?!
Whats your stand?
Answers: Recently I got into a violent argument about whether or not humans are carnivores. I say they're not, because carnivores eat raw meat. If we tried to eat bloody meat we would get sick! Our stomachs cant digest the raw meat that other animals eat. It would just rot. Plus carnivores have sharp teeth to tear apart their prey, which we do not. Grr!
Whats your stand?
Humans are actually omnivores--or so our diet has (d)evolved. But really, humans can live quite healthily without eating animal flesh. As for the raw vs. cooked argument, when was the last time you saw a lion with a frying pan to cook up his dinner?
Our digestive systems, however, are far more similar to herbiviorous creatures than carnivorous creatures, with the weak stomach acid (carnivores have strong stomach acid), the long digestive tract (carnivores have short digestive tracts to remove the rotting flesh from their bodies quickly), etc. Humans don't have the sharp claws and fangs to rip into flesh. Try using your canine teeth to tear open a living animal, and you'll see how hard it is.
And as for the contamination of spinach, green onions, et al., with E. coli, might I remind you that E. coli is produced in the digestive system, which plants don't have. The contamination was due to runoff from factory farms and/or slaughterhouses.
No. Humans are Omnivores.
Bert
Humans are omnivores. Carnivores eat only meat. Herbivores eat only vegetation. Omnivores eat everything.
Humans are omnivores.
As far back as it can be traced, clearly the archeological record indicates an omnivorous diet for humans that included meat. Our ancestry is among the hunter/gatherers from the beginning. Once domestication of food sources began, the human diet included both animals and plants.
Another vote for...you're both wrong. we are omnivores
actually carnivores and animals that eat meat. it doesn't specify cooked or raw meat I think that humans are meant to eat meat, thats why we have canine teeth, for ripping and shredding meat I know I enjoy my meat ;)
Well, your logic does not hold water on many levels.
1. I looked up carnivore on a few dictionaries. At no point did it mention if the meat was cooked or not. It just says consumed.
2. People eat raw meat all the time. The middle of a rare steak is raw, sushi is raw, tar tar is raw. I am sure there are more examples.
3. Most people have canine teeth. Canines are most definitely not for eating carrots. I know this because I have canines and I love carrots. I use my molars to bite them.
All of that being said, you are right. Humans are not carnivores. Like bears, we are omnivores.
Alot of people eat raw meat and if prepared properly you won't get sick. Humans are omnivores. Carnivore does not necessarily mean that the meat has to be raw. Humans do have sharp teeth they are called incisors. They are strong and sharp enough to tear through raw meat.
The answers I've seen about the canine teeth vs plant eating teeth have been absurd....no, we don't chase an animal down and attack it with tooth and claw (God or the big bang) gave us the ability to hone instruments of death. We don't have to physically hunt, we're smart enough to use weapons. We are also able to say whether or not we like to practive eating meat or not....we're pretty lucky as humans to be able to control our choices.
While your conclusion is true, your argument is factually inaccurate.
there is nothing in the definition of carnivore that states that the food must be raw and bloody. and those of us whoeat meat CAN in fact, digest raw meat. Not perfectally, but we can.
Even pure blood carnivores do not digest every shred of what they eat.
And what do you think our canines are for? looks? they are there for that specific reason. to cut and tear food, be it a particularrly(sp) tough carrot or a cut of meat.
Also, for Jen, we can also get sick eating plants, too. remember the spinich e-coli scare earlier in the year? Think before you type. ANY food can contain microbes that will make us sick. you can get botullism from a can of beets or beef-a-roni.
Also, try to digest Ricin. It comes from a plant. tell me how well that works for you.
most humans are omnivores, signified by reliance on a balanced diet. I consider myself a non-obgliate carnivore, i.e. I don't have to eat veggies, but I do.
Humans are omnivores. We eat both plants and animals for sustenance. We have incisors for tearing into meat, but large molars for mastication, so we're able to eat both. Also, being carnivorous doesn't mean you eat raw meat, it means you eat exclusively meat. How it's prepared is irrelevant to the definition of the word "carnivore". Also, usually there are health issues associated with an all meat diet, regardless of preparation. Your body needs vitamins and minerals that meat alone cannot provide. Of course, eating raw meat can lead to illness, but it depends on the type (sushi, for example, is fine raw).
I think humans are omnivores and carnivores. It's true that all of our teeth aren't sharp, but we do have canines. So, yeah..just looking at our teeth, it makes sense that humans are built to be both, right?? I swear I learned this in Zoology like 2 months ago, but I can't remember exactly.. XD
First of all, get it out of your head that because people eat meat, that's ALL they eat. People are omnivores meaning we eat all kinds of food. From creepy crawlers to veggies/greens/fruits to fish to four legged animals. Our teeth are designed to rip and tear flesh and to grind the vegetable fibre. It is not designed to be exclusive to either type. Our digestive system is designed for both too (short large intestines for animal food, thin long small intestines for plant food.
Interesting point - however despite the fact that I don't eat meat - I know someone who is in his mid 60's and has eaten raw fish, poultry and meat for years, along with raw vegetables. He is as fit as "Butcher's Dog" and is most certainly able to eat completely raw flesh with no problems. He carries a letter from his doctor as a disclaimer for when he eats raw food in restaurants. He often catches his own food. He will for example catch a fish, take it home and gut an fillet it. He then pops it into the freezer. When he wants a packed lunch he take it out, and pops it in a bag to defrost. He will then place it between two slices of bread and eat his fish sandwich. He just cuts into cuts of raw meat and chicken with no thought for the blood. He can walk as fast as I can run - and for occupational reasons I can run pretty fast!
Needless to say as he includes raw chips and slices of bread in his diet he is most certainly and omnivore, despite eating meat and flesh prepared a la carnivore! I prefer and follow a vegetarian diet and enjoy it no less than he enjoys his omnivorous diet.
nope. we're omnivores.
but i think we've kind of evolved.. i mean, when a kid sees a bunny, their instinct is to go "cuuute" and try to pet it. not stalk it, catch it, and then eat it raw.
so that's one of the main reasons why i'm a vegetarian =]
ever heard of sushi? or a famous french dish called Beef Tartare? both use raw fish or beef. raw meat is only unhealthy when its handled badly, ie exposed to hazordous conditions. prepared properly theyre are perfectly healthy (and safe) to eat. many people ive seen use the argument "we cant hunt prey with our bare hands therefor we should not eat meat" but this is ridiculous. i dont often go into my kitchen and find my dog eating at the kitchen table with a fork and a knife, or have to wait in line for the shower cause my cat is in there. why? because they are not human, we do things differently. our brains differentiate significantly. while we didnt evolve claws to tear animals apart, or the speed and agility to chase them down, we were given the brain capacity to find other means of doing so, whether it be a spear a rock or anything else. and maybe animals dont cook their food but it doesnt mean they wont eat it. you can bet when my family is grillin up burgers and i turn my back for a second my dog will wolf those burgers down in a blink of an eye. cooking meat (or vegetables alike) is just a way to make the food more appealing and appetizing. do you often chow down on raw potatoes? or take out a bag of rice and eat it as is without cooking? i think not. i dont believe that we were meant to eat strictly herbavore or carnivore diets. why would man have the instinct to eat meat at all if we werent meant to eat it? you can tell me some of that "oh youre brainwashed, you only eat meat cause your parents forced you to" rhetoric cause i dont believe it. scenes painted on walls from the early caveman days depicted them hunting, and i dont think they had the media brainwashing them then. the fact of the matter is, whether or not we were meant to really isnt an issue. people do, and it isnt going to change. if you want people to be tolerant of your beliefs, then mind your own business and let them lie thier lives as they want to, whether or not it is right or wrong.
Meat eaters are POSER omnivores.
We have ADAPTED to eating meat for survival with the use of TOOLS. That doesn't mean that we are suited to eat meat.
To say that people are carnivores just makes that person sound like a complete moron and a total douche.
Let's see that genius gnaw his way through the skin of a deer or cow.
We aren't carnivores we are omnivores and you don't always get sick from eating raw meat it depends on the kind and if you are used to it or if it isn't rotting and festering. We have canines and we have flat teeth as well and our nail size varies from how we take care of them it is a choice on what we eat but no matter what you are still an omnivore. But most likely in the beginning with cave men hunting they most likely had a little bit sharper and longer teeth but they used weapons as well and they would always travel for food barely ever making a home for themselves unless there was a good source of food whether it was plant or animal.
Humans are naturally omnivores. Our prehistoric ancesters most likely ate large amounts of plant material and small animals such as grubs. That's what most large apes do today.
They weren't really meant to eat the meat of large animals because they can't digest it. That's why humans are the only animals that cook their food. We don't have claws or fangs; so we eat with forks and knives. At some point in our history people decided it was a good idea to eat meat; maybe there were food shortages and it was an adapted survival technique.
Ever see a nature show where lions kill a gazelle and eat it? Did they cook it first? Did one of the lions go and get the silverware? End of story.
Carnivores only eat meat. Humans need grains and veggies to be healthy therefore are not carnivores.
I doubted you but I looked it up and you are right. A carnivore is a flesh eating animal. Huh-You learn something new every day.
*sigh*
You are right. Humans are definitely not carnivores.
They're really not suited to eat any animal products. If our bodies were meant to we wouldn't get diseases from consuming them.
This is a good essay:
Are Humans Designed to Eat Meat?
by Milton Mills, MD
Recognizing Truth
The major causes of disease and death in western countries are chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and cancers. These diseases have been linked to diets high in meat and animal fat, and low in fruits, vegetables, unprocessed carbohydrates and fiber. Extensive research data have led many nutrition authorities to conclude that westerners should make major changes in their diet and lifestyle to promote better health and reduce risk factors for chronic disease. In effect, current consensus guidelines encourage Americans and other westerners to adopt a diet based more on plant rather than animal foods. Why should this be?
Standard western nutritional dogma "classifies" human beings as omnivores. The statement "humans are omnivores" has been repeated so often that it has acquired the patina of received truth. But like a patina, the "truth" inherent in this statement is only microns deep.
While it may be true that most humans are "behavioral" omnivores (that is, they choose to include meat in their diet) this behavioral fact says nothing about whether including meat in our diet is an appropriate choice from an anatomic, physiologic and heath perspective. What is surprising is that despite abundant evidence showing that large amounts of meat and other animal foods in one's diet leads to all types of chronic diseases, and that varied plant-based diets promote better heath, the idea that humans are supposed to be omnivores has rarely been challenged or critically examined by the scientific community. Thus, although national health policy guidelines clearly direct us away from animal foods and towards a plant-based diet, many in the scientific community remain oblivious to what is being implied. That implication is that humans are not omnivores inasmuch as increasing amounts of animal foods in the diet promote increasing levels of chronic disease.
Clearly, it is difficult to arrive at or recognize "the answer" if one never asks the appropriate question.
A Question of Design
Animals who eat meat and those who eat plants face very different issues when dinner time arrives. Plants, because they are sedentary, encase their tissues in tough fibrous coverings for support and protection, and thus require a large amount of digestive processing to extract nutritional value from them. By contrast, "meat" (in the form of live animals) usually does not want to be eaten and is, therefore, recalcitrant, combative and uncooperative - it tends to run away.
Accordingly, plant eaters (herbivores) are optimized for foraging, batch feeding and prolonged digestion, whereas meat eaters (carnivores/omnivores) are designed for predation and the consumption of huge, infrequent meals.
Meat eaters are all equipped for short bursts of extreme speed that allows them to ambush and/or run down prey. Their limbs have been lightened to allow for fast running and their paws have been modified into compact clubs armed with claws.
When tackling struggling prey, the most vulnerable parts of their anatomy - the abdomen and gonads - are shielded behind the muscular armored chest. Their incisors have been reduced to short pointed pegs, while their canines are huge sharp elongated daggers used for ripping and killing. Their jaw joint is on the same plane as their cheek teeth, and there is no horizontal side-to-side motion of the lower jaw.
This makes their jaws very stable and allows them to operate like a pair of shears. Their molars are sharp, jagged and blade-shaped. The upper molars vertically slide past the lower molars in a slicing motion when the jaw is closed. These animals do not chew their food. Instead, they slice off huge chunks of meat and swallow them whole. They do not have digestive enzymes in their saliva since flesh-digesting enzymes released in the unprotected mouth would quickly destroy the oral cavity.
Their strongly acidic stomachs are huge storage vats that account for 60-70% of the total capacity of their GI tracts. Meat has no fiber and is, therefore, easily digested. Thus, their small intestines are very short (only 3-6 times their body length) and are optimized for protein and fat absorption. Their large intestines are short straight and smooth and designed for evacuation purposes only.
What about "By-design" Omnivores?
The one design concession "by-design" omnivores such as bears and raccoons have made to plant eating is that one or more pairs of their molars have modified from sharp blades to flattened grinding surfaces.
This allows them to crush and swallow a limited amount and range of plant foods such as fruits, berries, roots and tubers. However, they otherwise retain the typical carnivore tooth design and jaw mechanics, and their short small intestines do not allow them to adequately handle large amounts of plant fiber. Hence, a true natural omnivore is a carnivore that has been minimally modified to eat a limited range of soft, pulpy plant foods, but is still equipped to run down, kill, dismember and consume prey.
I Herd That!
Large mammalian herbivores tend to be social animals living in large herds/communities/cities. Because they must cover significant distances looking for and gathering plant foods, their limbs are modified for prolonged energy-efficient standing and walking. Instead of claws, their nails are blunt and used for digging and peeling. They have muscular lips, a small mouth opening and well-developed cheek muscles.
This creates a "walled-in" oral cavity that facilitates the crushing and grinding action of chewing. The jaw joint is above the plane of the cheek teeth and the lower is "L-shaped" causing the upper molars to come to rest on top of the lower molars when the jaw is closed. This allows the jaw to function like a nut cracker rather than a pair of shears.
The upper molars cannot vertically slide past the lower molars. But because the lower jaw has a pronounced horizontal side-to-side motion, the upper and lower molars horizontally slide across one another creating the grinding action of chewing. Accordingly, the molars are not sharp and blade-shaped, but are squared, flat-topped and abut one another forming extended grinding surfaces. The incisors are broad, flattened and spade-shaped and used for cropping and peeling. The canines may be absent, as in cows and sheep; shortened and reduced, as in horses and humans; or dagger-like and used for defense, as in hippos and some primates. Herbivores also usually have carbohydrate digesting enzymes in their saliva that begins the process of digestion while food is still in the mouth. In fact, the purpose of chewing (including chewing the cud) is to mix food with digestive enzymes to facilitate the process of digestion.
Plant tissues contain large amounts of fibrous material. The end result is that plant foods require extensive processing to extract their nutritional content. Because of this, herbivores consume smaller, more frequent meals, and tend to have much longer and, in some cases, much more elaborate digestive tracts than their meat-eating counterparts.
In a typical herbivore, the stomach holds less than 30% of the total capacity of the GI tract. On the other hand, the small intestine is extremely long and is usually more than 10-12 times the body length and has an unlimited capacity for carbohydrate absorption. The large intestine or colon is also relatively long and complex and frequently has a pouched appearance.
Here's Looking at You
In every respect, humans show the anatomic and physiologic features typical of an herbivore. A full and complete discussion of these features is well beyond the scope of this short article. What follows is a random sampling of facts.
Upright posture leaves the human abdomen, ovaries and testes completely exposed and, potentially, fatally vulnerable. Whereas standing and walking are very energy-efficient for humans, running is not.
We are extremely slow runners and have very poor stamina. We have a carbohydrate-digesting enzyme in our saliva called salivary amylase.
The human esophagus does not handle poorly chewed food very well. Over 90% of the people who choke to death each year choke on meat.
Human body length (head to tail bone) is typically 2.5 to 3 feet. Thus, at >25-30 feet in length, the human small intestine is clearly designed for digesting plant material.
Only herbivores have an appendix. No matter how much fat and cholesterol you feed carnivores like dogs and cats, they NEVER develop coronary artery disease.
In places where people eat a high fiber, whole food diet, appendicitis and diverticulosis are unknown.
Studies in western countries have shown that on average, vegetarians have smarter children, suffer significantly lower rates of chronic disease, obesity and dementia, and live longer than their meat-eating counterparts.
So, to answer the question posed by the title of this piece: NO, we are NOT designed to eat meat!
http://www.all-creatures.org/mhvs/nl-200...