Are Humans Herbivores?

[Iconoclast Enthusiast]

Another interesting argument against humans being carnivorous/omnivorous is the fact most (almost all) people are not attracted to raw meat. Raw meat as in a dead animal, even freshly killed. Most humans are not psychologically or physiologically aroused by a dead animal in relation to eating, especially with the intent to eat it in its natural form.  

[Social Emergency]

Psychologically we have been convinced by society that eating raw meat is unhealthy, which is true if it's store bought,. However, if you were stranded a week or so without food, you'd be jonesing for some meat, I can promise you that. The mind instinctively associates meat with food, because meat is the fastest and most efficient way our bodies can acquire nutrients. It doesn't matter if you've lived your whole life a devout vegan...when driven to necessity, instinct will take control and you will see why humans are omnivores. I know for a fact in the woods you're unlikely to find every plant that will supply your body with the proper nutrients. I can not say whether or not humans were SUPPOSED to be omnivores or not, what I DO know is that we developed into omnivores out of necessity, and adaptation.  

[demon child me]

Well, thousands and thousands of years ago before civilizations, humans were herbivores that ate seeds, nuts, fruits, leaves, and anything else it could gather. Then as we evolved, there came bugs and smaller animals. But we never really completely went carnivore. We are pretty much omnivore right now.

Personally, now it's up to the individual to decide for them self. I am an omnivore by choice, though my cousin is an herbivore (it is a physical requirement, what's in the meat reacts horribly to her MS). Meat isn't bad, it's just like everything else, have a controlled amount of it.  

[random bumblebee]

I have to say that I am impressed with your post. and while I voted no, I believe that you have a very strong argument.
I do not agree that we are classic predators either. We don't really have the equipment for the job. It is true that we have teeth, claws, and forward facing eyes but lets be honest, they would fail miserably in the real world of the predator.
We are scavengers who have adapted ways to control and contain what we eat in order to avoid the need to fight for it.  

[Lillith Face Two]

We are omnivores, we might not have the jaws but we sure as hell have the teeth and biology, we've always been hunter/gatherers though the gatherers fed us more then the hunters.
If we weren't omnivores we wouldn't be able to eat meat in the first place.  

[missysamantha]

We are strictly omnivores. Due to our useless appendix! Now, in some point in time, our appendix must've been functional- helping us digest harder, raw foods. well evolution & darwinism & survival of the fittest and all that humbug for a few hundred years. we've now lost the function of our appendix.

so while we can't go out and eat a raw animal without getting seriously sick, we also can't just go and eat leaves off of a tree either or just bend down and gnaw on some grass without puking.

you make valid points though!  

[wildblackfire]

stare no, humans are omnivores. That's just how we're built. We don't eat raw meat because it can carry diseases and ingesting raw blood can actually kill you. We don't run and catch animals with our bare hands no. That's because we're equip with a greater advantage over the animals around us. A higher thinking. We don't need to hunt that way because we can set traps or raise livestock. The law of the wilderness is never use more energy to get food than the food you're getting can provide. It's about getting what you need using the least amount of energy required. The more successful you are at this determines how far ahead in the animal kingdom you get. hence why we are dominant and can focus on a wider range of activities instead of spending everyday hoping to catch a meal.

Most vegetarians don't realize the position they're putting their body in. Alot of them die young and have major health problems because they think they can use supplements to cover what they're not getting. I'd suggest you reconsider your point of view for your healths sake. consider this? Does a lion feel bad for the Gazelle? No because that's the nature of living in this world. It was made this way. No one said it was fair. Rejecting the facts of it only hurt you. Nature will not change to suit your personal beliefs.  

[beccamon]

I think that we're omnivores, and it's as simple as the fact that we need nutrients from meat to survive.

Though you do bring up some interesting points, I think more of the physical stuff has just come about from evolution, or "civilization" or whatever you want to call it.  

[Thyplosion]

Er, ahem! When you say human, you describe them with the most observable trait of the majority of the human species. Thus, you can't say that you are a herbivorous creature just because you don't eat meat. Herbivorous species are characterized by flat teeth. Carnivorous species are characterized by sharp fangs. Omnivorous species have both. And lastly, what you've adapted to eat is what matters. For instance, vegetarians do not eat meat but are capable of doing so.

Oh, yeah. Please don't use small texts and/or/with bright and flashy color. It makes it irritating to read. Specially for novel-like posts. I didn't even read the first post.  

[kikinak]

Humans are omnivores. We have evolved(or devolved as the case may be) to the point that we can no longer eat raw meat, our immune system is no longer strong enough and we no longer have the enzymes to consume it without getting sick. That doesn't mean we are no longer supposed to eat it, after all, we can no longer drink water without first filtering it. We can't drink from ponds or rivers like other animals do, there's too much bacteria and the like. That doesn't mean we aren't meant to drink water. We, as humans, are omnivores. We just have to filter and process the crap out of everything.  

[xxEverBluexx]

Iconoclast Enthusiast

Another interesting argument against humans being carnivorous/omnivorous is the fact most (almost all) people are not attracted to raw meat. Raw meat as in a dead animal, even freshly killed. Most humans are not psychologically or physiologically aroused by a dead animal in relation to eating, especially with the intent to eat it in its natural form.

Okay, this argument is kinda lame. Most humans (in America anyway) aren't starving either and we're trained in our culture to find raw meat disgusting. Even some of our pets won't eat raw meat. Go and offer a chunk of raw chicken to a house kitty with a picky appetite. That cat probably won't eat it. Even my cat, who loves to hunt and to eat, isn't guaranteed to eat it, because she's full most of the time and there's tastier food available. There is no question about whether cats are carnivorous or not; they're about as carnivorous as you can get. So if a creature who is designed to eat basically only meat will decline raw meat because they're full and picky, is it any surprise that we omnivores would do the same?

Unrelated to quoted post: That brings me to my other point. Just because you can eat only vegetables does not mean you are made to. There are cat foods out there that are entirely vegan, but a cat was never designed to eat large amounts of vegetation. Someone said we couldn't be vegans unless we lived in this modern society, and I totally agree. That, right there, tells you we are, without question, omnivores.

Look, I totally respect vegans and vegetarians. I think that right now, it's a healthy, viable choice for humans, and that it's good for the environment. But the vibe I'm getting is that this question is meant to prove some vegetarian point, and if that's so, this a dead end. The fact is, your body needs nutrients most commonly found in plants and nutrients from meat. Your body is designed to get and process both. That makes you an omnivore.