Are Humans Carnivores or Herbivores?
September 9th, 2005 by Steve Pavlina
Intestinal tract length.
#Carnivorous animals have intestinal tracts that are 3-6x their body length, while herbivores have intestinal tracts 10-12x their body length.
~Human beings have the same intestinal tract ratio as herbivores.
Stomach acidity.
#Carnivores’ stomachs are 20x more acidic than the stomachs of herbivores.
~Human stomach acidity matches that of herbivores.
Saliva.
#The saliva of carnivores is acidic.
~The saliva of herbivores is alkaline, which helps pre-digest plant foods. Human saliva is alkaline.
Shape of intestines.
#Carnivore bowels are smooth, shaped like a pipe, so meat passes through quickly — they don’t have bumps or pockets.
~Herbivore bowels are bumpy and pouch-like with lots of pockets, like a windy mountain road, so plant foods pass through slowly for optimal nutrient absorption. Human bowels have the same characteristics as those of herbivores.
Fiber.
#Carnivores don’t require fiber to help move food through their short and smooth digestive tracts.
~Herbivores require dietary fiber to move food through their long and bumpy digestive tracts, to prevent the bowels from becoming clogged with rotting food. Humans have the same requirement as herbivores.
Cholesterol.
#Cholesterol is not a problem for a carnivore’s digestive system. A carnivore such as a cat can handle a high-cholesterol diet without negative health consequences.
~A human cannot. Humans have zero dietary need for cholesterol because our bodies manufacture all we need. Cholesterol is only found in animal foods, never in plant foods. A plant-based diet is by definition cholesterol-free.
Claws and teeth.
#Carnivores have claws, sharp front teeth capable of subduing prey, and no flat molars for chewing.
~Herbivores have no claws or sharp front teeth capable of subduing prey, but they have flat molars for chewing. Humans have the same characteristics as herbivores.
But aren’t humans anatomically suited to be omnivores?
Nope. We don’t anatomically match up with omnivorous animals anymore than we do with carnivorous ones. Omnivores are more similar to carnivores than they are to herbivores. For a more detailed summary table that compares the properties of carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores side by side, see this page:Comparative Anatomy & Taxonomy
copy pasted from: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/09/are-humans-carnivores-or-herbivores-2/
I guess that's fair enough. Still don't believe it? http://groups.msn.com/CrazyVegan/humanherbivore.msnw
*It gives us specific tables so we could compare easily
http://www.goveg.com/naturalhumandiet_physiology.asp
*or this, for a different way of explanation
And, I also searched for the web who talked :
Humans Are Omnivores :
In this web if I conclude the argument which is rational enough ;
Depending mostly on climate conditions, the ratio of plant to animal intake varies. In colder and more severe environments, the meat in-take is usually much larger.
This primarily occurs for two reasons:
1) plants won't grow. You can't eat what isn't there. (Ask an Eskimo. He'll know.)
2) the concentration of nutrients is much higher in meat than in vegetables. This means you can harvest less tonnage of food. It also means the culture can have less of an impact on the environment (then if they cut their meat in-take and became more herbivore-like.)
http://membrane.com/synapse/library/health/diet/research/humans_are_omnivores.html
check this out :
http://www.ecologos.org/omni.htm
even WikiAnswers says humans are herbivores!
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_humans_omnivores_or_herbivores
In my opinion, that is just some kind of adaption of human kind to still stay alive. But in fact, meats and fleshes are not really suitable to our body. Since we hardly could absorb proteins in fleshes. And that's what distract our liver.
But nowadays, People are now eating
Who cares? Who could resist the irresistible appetizing junk-food and meats, scattered all over?
Well you could. If you want to live longer I say. Regretting older's no use.
Many veggies not consist of Vitamin B12 which so important to our blood. So we should still eat balaced diet by taking the protein from nuts or legumes (eg. beans, etc.). Or we could also take a supplement of this vitamin.
