From
How humans are not
physically created to eat meat
Although some historians and
anthropologists say that man is historically omnivorous, our anatomical
equipment teeth, jaws, and digestive system favors a fleshless
diet. The American Dietetic Association notes
that "most of mankind
for most of human history has lived on vegetarian or near-vegetarian
diets."
And much of the world still
lives that way. Even on
most industrialized countries, the love affair with meat is less than a hundred
years old. It started
with the refrigerator car and the twentieth-century consumer society.
But even with the twentieth century, man's body hasn't adapted to eating meat.
The prominent Swedish scientist Karl von Linne states, "Man's structure, external and internal,
compared with that of the other animals, shows that fruit and succulent
vegetables constitute his natural food." The chart below compares
the anatomy of man with that of carnivorous and herbivorous animals.
When you look at the comparison between herbivores
and humans, we compare much more closely to herbivores than meat eating animals.
Humans are clearly not
designed to digest and ingest meat.
Meat-eaters: have claws
Herbivores: no claws
Humans: no claws
Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue
Herbivores: perspire through skin pores
Humans: perspire through skin pores
Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat
molar teeth for grinding
Herbivores: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for
grinding
Humans: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for
grinding
Meat-eaters: have intestinal tract that is only 3 times their
body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly
Herbivores: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
Humans: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest
meat
Herbivores: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that
of a meat-eater
Humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than
that of a meat-eater
Meat-eaters: salivary glands in mouth not needed to pre-digest
grains and fruits.
Herbivores: well-developed salivary glands which are necessary
to pre-digest grains and fruits
Humans: well-developed salivary glands, which are
necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits
Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to
pre-digest grains
Herbivores: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest
grains
Humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest
grains
Based on a chart by A.D. Andrews, Fit Food for Men, (Chicago: American
Hygiene Society, 1970)
“The point is this: Thousands of years ago, when we
were hunter-gatherers, we may have eaten a bit of meat in our diets in times of
scarcity, but we don’t need it now. Says Dr
William C. Roberts, Editor of the American Journal of Cardiology,
“Although
we think we are, and act as if we are, human beings are not natural carnivores.
When we kill animals to
eat them, they end up killing us, because their flesh which contains cholesterol
and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores.”
(From the book, Food For Thought: An Epigenetic Guide to
Wellness, By George J. Febish; Jo Anne Oxley)
7 comments:
Nice post.
But still, the proponents of meat eating argue that humans are adapted to eat meat too because of the presence of the canine teeth whose tip is sharp.
Secondly, dogs do not have sharp claws, but are nevertheless meat eaters.
So, how do we explain them ?
Your post, copied from some other site, is wrong in many levels because it is not based on facts/truth. I will try to clarify them here in whatever way I can.
'The American Dietetic Association notes that "most of mankind for most of human history has lived on vegetarian or near-vegetarian diets."' ----- there is no such association as 'American Dietetic Association. So this statement is incorrect. Most of mankind has eaten meat. Evidence is everywhere, in our puranas as well as in every local folk legend as well as Archaeological evidence.
Karl von Linne, the only scientist mentioned in the article, lived in the 18th century. Our understanding of the human body and it’s evolution has changed since then. The scientific community today generally regards human anatomy as consistent with other omnivores.
Now let's look at the comparisons you mentioned between herbivores and humans:
1. Fingernails are one of the features that distinguish primates, including humans, from other mammals. They are flattened forms of claws (same material). Chimps have nails, so do baboons and both of these eat meat.
2. All mammals except Hippos, Whales, etc. (sea/water bound creatures) have skin pores and perspire through skin. Take some of these mammals such as primates and some whales - they are meat eaters!
3. Both bears and wolves have molars, and they are both meat eaters!
4. 'Decaying meat' - which ignorant person wrote the nonsense in your article, I seriously wonder, because he/she clearly has no clue about human anatomy. Meat or any food once it hits the stomach goes through digestion and there is no 'decaying' food present at any point in the fauna anatomy. The reason carnivores have shorter intestines is because the food they eat lacks cellulose which is present in plant based food, and the ready & fast to absorb molecules present in raw meat they eat make it easier for stomach and little bit of intestine to absorb most of the food quickly. Omnivores have to deal with cellulose and fermentation that occurs in digesting certain vegetable foods (beans, etc.), hence omnivores have longer intestines, and yet human intestines is less than 8 times their body length. NOT 10 -12 times like you mentioned!
Further, you did not mention this fact - herbivores have a much more larger stomach with compartments to digest cellulose, etc. which humans don't have. Human gastro tract is identical with carnivores tract and different from herbivorous animals tract! Check it out!
5. The reason carnivores have more HCL in stomach has nothing to do with eating meat, but simply to do with killing bad bacteria that is present in rotting meat of dead animals they sometimes eat. The HCL production in lion (which only eats what it kills) is same as in bears as in humans.
6. Omnivores like bears, primates and humans must have ptyalin and better saliva to pre-digest grains and some vegetables obviously unlike carnivores which do not eat any plant based food.
The author of the misconceptions stated, A.D Andrews, seems to be a phantom. There is no description of him in Chicago and there is no such 'American Hygiene Society'!
As valmiki clearly describes in Ramayana, canines of Rama, and meat eating activities of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Agastya, etc. since I believe in Sanatana Dharma, meat eating is normal, acceptable and a part of human anatomy. Anyone who disagrees is unknowingly buying into Jainism nonsense. You, being a Sanatana Dharmist, have disappointed me greatly since posting these untrue articles, should know better. But clearly, you didnt, and are unknowingly falling prey to janinism ideologues.
Dear Mam,
on jayasekar comments:
nonveg taste addiction makes one highly defensive to the extent of misquoting Valmiki.
my only question is when human being is down with infection or fever why non veg food becomes strictly prohibitive to our anatomy?
Regards
Sheela
On Sheela comments, looks like Veg taste addiction makes one highly ignorant of our vedic scriptures, because clearly they don't read original sanskrit unabridged versions of them, like this Ms. Sheela. I challenge you Ms. Sheela, read the sanskrit valmiki ramayana & prove what I said above wrong! You have only exposed your ignorance with that comment.
Mr jayasekhar, read this
http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.in/2012/10/what-are-vedic-yajnas-guest-post-by-r.html
if mr jayasekhar can get misguided by distorted versions of Valmiki Ramayan
let me be an ignorant.
Lord Rama an infinite source of energy of Supreme form Vishnu., still to justify his human avatar has been blessed with Bal/Athibal mantra by his Guru Vishwamitra to survive without food & water.
many mushroom clubs have come out to promote their agenda and its upto us to realise inner truth and not throw challenges which is waste of time.
Ms. Sheela, I am glad you owned up your ignorance. But don't stop there, learn at least now the truth. I see that you didn't accept my challenge to read Sanskrit unabridged version of Valmiki Ramayana. Since you refused to do that, it is clear who is misguided here about her understanding or lack of understanding of Lord Rama & his greatness. Get rid of your distorted view and realize the truth instead of showing your desperation to promote your own agenda/mushroom club here.
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