Are Humans Herbivores?

[Chrissy Color]

I'm probably going to be one of the only people to agree with this, but whatever. Give it a shot!

Now, I do believe humans are herbivores. First off, our jaws. We don't have a jaw of a carnivore or an omnivore. There's no way we could bite into a raw hide of a carcass. You can say humans have "canine" teeth, but ours are short and blunted like an herbivores. Omnivores have long sharp and curved canines. Also, our jaws more side to side for grinding plants. Carnivore's jaws move up and down for ripping apart the carcass (they swallow whole mostly)

That brings me to my next point; stomach acid. Carnivores have a strong stomach acid, because they usually swallow their food whole. Humans have a weaker stomach acid, more for plants. That's why we have to cook our meat to eat it, or else we'd get sick and die. With that point, doesn't that just say a lot?

Nails. That's another one that contradicts our "omnivore" lifestyles. We don''t have "claws" to tear at carcasses. We have softer, flattened nails. Both omnivores and carnivores have sharp claws.

Our intestines are another one. Carnivores and Omnivores have smaller intestinal tracts so they can digest quicker. Herbivores have longer intestines, and it takes us longer to digest. Some meats have to be digested quickly because of the toxins inside them. Since we can't digest them so quickly, toxins get left in our bodies.

People who consume animal products are ten times more prone to heart disease, 40% more prone to cancers, and at increased risk for many other illnesses such as stroke, tuberculosis, obesity, appendicitis, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, and food poisoning. Meat contains accumulation of pesticides and toxic chemicals that add up to fourteen times more concentrated than those found in plant products. The rapid rise of Leukosis in Cattle induced blood cancer, or Leukemia among children in the US. When meat spoils in the intestines, it can make a person more violently ill than any other food.

Instinct; we don't have one for eating meat. We can't even stand the smell of a dead animal. When you're driving in your car and you see a dead animal on the side of the road, do you want to jump out and go eat it? Take a baby and a dead squirrel and see if it eats it.

Just because our culture has accepted animal products into our daily meals, doesn't mean our bodies did.

The "if we didn't eat them, they'd overpopulate the earth" argument is flawed, by the way. Most cows and other animals we eat are forced to reproduce. Unless they start going like rabbits, there wouldn't be overpopulation.

What do you think?

 

[Chrissy Color]

If you vote no on the poll, please post why you think that. o___O

 

[AngelBlackChaos]

Sorry to bring this up but as a species, we are omnivores since we have canines and molars, our stomach acid is strong but not strong enough for bone, but enough for meat. As a person, it is different since some are vegetarians and some eat only meat...still for dietary reasons, our bodies technically prefer both.  

[AngelBlackChaos]

Digital Froggy

I'm probably going to be one of the only people to agree with this, but whatever. Give it a shot!

Now, I do believe humans are herbivores. First off, our jaws. We don't have a jaw of a carnivore or an omnivore. There's no way we could bite into a raw hide of a carcass. You can say humans have "canine" teeth, but ours are short and blunted like an herbivores. Omnivores have long sharp and curved canines. Also, our jaws more side to side for grinding plants. Carnivore's jaws move up and down for ripping apart the carcass (they swallow whole mostly)
Well, have you ever tried chewing raw meat? Technically, you can, but it is difficult, and our canines are blunted but still sharp enough, and since we technically chew with an up and down motion, no we are not built like herbavores, more like omnivores, and omnivores do chew.
That brings me to my next point; stomach acid. Carnivores have a strong stomach acid, because they usually swallow their food whole. Humans have a weaker stomach acid, more for plants. That's why we have to cook our meat to eat it, or else we'd get sick and die. With that point, doesn't that just say a lot? As I said before, you can eat raw meat, our bodies are just so devolved that MOST get sick.

Nails. That's another one that contradicts our "omnivore" lifestyles. We don''t have "claws" to tear at carcasses. We have softer, flattened nails. Both omnivores and carnivores have sharp claws.We have devolved that way, we were stronger once. If you have seen any primitive tribes, you can see that thier nails are stronger.

Our intestines are another one. Carnivores and Omnivores have smaller intestinal tracts so they can digest quicker. Herbivores have longer intestines, and it takes us longer to digest. Some meats have to be digested quickly because of the toxins inside them. Since we can't digest them so quickly, toxins get left in our bodies. See above comments

People who consume animal products are ten times more prone to heart disease, 40% more prone to cancers, and at increased risk for many other illnesses such as stroke, tuberculosis, obesity, appendicitis, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, and food poisoning. Meat contains accumulation of pesticides and toxic chemicals that add up to fourteen times more concentrated than those found in plant products. The rapid rise of Leukosis in Cattle induced blood cancer, or Leukemia among children in the US. When meat spoils in the intestines, it can make a person more violently ill than any other food. Not all meat has pesticides and chemicals. And what makes someone ill depends on the person. I have no problem with any type of raw food except soy

Instinct; we don't have one for eating meat. We can't even stand the smell of a dead animal. When you're driving in your car and you see a dead animal on the side of the road, do you want to jump out and go eat it? Take a baby and a dead squirrel and see if it eats it. Actually not true. I have a huge instinct for red meat, and if you are on an island, many castaways start to crave it. And of course a baby doesn't want to eat a squirrel it is craving milk. That comment was just redundant. And no one wants to eat rotting meat. Fresh is of course choice.

Just because our culture has accepted animal products into our daily meals, doesn't mean our bodies did. That is not true. Our bodies are built to accept both meat and plant products.

The "if we didn't eat them, they'd overpopulate the earth" argument is flawed, by the way. Most cows and other animals we eat are forced to reproduce. Unless they start going like rabbits, there wouldn't be overpopulation.That is true however.

What do you think?

Another comment about meat cravings: when it comes down to survival, many will eat meat because our bodies will need the nutrition.

 

[Ardens]

<<< No, we're strictly omnivores. Basic human anatomy will back me up on this: from our canines and premolars for eating meat, to our forward facing eyes for catching prey, we are very much designed to hunt, kill and consume other animals >>>

<<< Also in what we lack as opposed to what we have, we see how we could never be herbivores. If you look at true herbivores, such as cattle and sheep, you'll find that they have symbiotic bacteria in their gut to help them fully digest the grasses they eat. We don't have this bacteria, and as we do not, nor any other mammal, produce cellulase (an enzyme for breaking down plant cell walls) it would be almost impossible to live as vegetarians if we didn't have the benefit of living in a modern society >>>  

[Ardens]

<<< I would also like to add that AngelBlackChaos did a fantastic job of explaining this, and covered pretty much everything I could think of >>>  

[Chrissy Color]

Ardens

<<< No, we're strictly omnivores. Basic human anatomy will back me up on this: from our canines and premolars for eating meat, to our forward facing eyes for catching prey, we are very much designed to hunt, kill and consume other animals >>>

<<< Also in what we lack as opposed to what we have, we see how we could never be herbivores. If you look at true herbivores, such as cattle and sheep, you'll find that they have symbiotic bacteria in their gut to help them fully digest the grasses they eat. We don't have this bacteria, and as we do not, nor any other mammal, produce cellulase (an enzyme for breaking down plant cell walls) it would be almost impossible to live as vegetarians if we didn't have the benefit of living in a modern society >>>

So you can catch an animal with your bare hands and bite into a carcass with no problem? If a human was trapped on an island they wouldn't be able to hunt like they are supposed to do. They'd be better off trying to eat vegetation. You can't live off of raw meat.

Now when you say that it sounds like you're trying to say we can't eat plants at all..

 

[iXenu]

There is a very good reason why cows have multiple stomachs and chew cud. It is very hard to digest so much roughage without coming out nearly completely as it went in. Also, I personally agree with animals over populating if the US as a whole gave up meat. The hunters that would normally hunt the farm animals were killed off by the meat farmers, so less predators. Living in the wild I assume most farm animals wouldn't know what plant was safe to eat from, and would probably start rummaging in the newly planted field to find food, pigs and chickens especially since they're so close to the ground. We would probably end up killing the animals and labeling them as 'pests' instead of 'food', and that would probably result in rotting carcasses everywhere due to trapping of chickens, pigs, cows, and other animals we could have used to help feed starving people.  

[Social Emergency]

Digital Froggy

I'm probably going to be one of the only people to agree with this, but whatever. Give it a shot!

Now, I do believe humans are herbivores. First off, our jaws. We don't have a jaw of a carnivore or an omnivore. There's no way we could bite into a raw hide of a carcass. You can say humans have "canine" teeth, but ours are short and blunted like an herbivores. Omnivores have long sharp and curved canines. Also, our jaws more side to side for grinding plants. Carnivore's jaws move up and down for ripping apart the carcass (they swallow whole mostly)

That brings me to my next point; stomach acid. Carnivores have a strong stomach acid, because they usually swallow their food whole. Humans have a weaker stomach acid, more for plants. That's why we have to cook our meat to eat it, or else we'd get sick and die. With that point, doesn't that just say a lot?

Nails. That's another one that contradicts our "omnivore" lifestyles. We don''t have "claws" to tear at carcasses. We have softer, flattened nails. Both omnivores and carnivores have sharp claws.

Our intestines are another one. Carnivores and Omnivores have smaller intestinal tracts so they can digest quicker. Herbivores have longer intestines, and it takes us longer to digest. Some meats have to be digested quickly because of the toxins inside them. Since we can't digest them so quickly, toxins get left in our bodies.

People who consume animal products are ten times more prone to heart disease, 40% more prone to cancers, and at increased risk for many other illnesses such as stroke, tuberculosis, obesity, appendicitis, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, and food poisoning. Meat contains accumulation of pesticides and toxic chemicals that add up to fourteen times more concentrated than those found in plant products. The rapid rise of Leukosis in Cattle induced blood cancer, or Leukemia among children in the US. When meat spoils in the intestines, it can make a person more violently ill than any other food.

Instinct; we don't have one for eating meat. We can't even stand the smell of a dead animal. When you're driving in your car and you see a dead animal on the side of the road, do you want to jump out and go eat it? Take a baby and a dead squirrel and see if it eats it.

Just because our culture has accepted animal products into our daily meals, doesn't mean our bodies did.

The "if we didn't eat them, they'd overpopulate the earth" argument is flawed, by the way. Most cows and other animals we eat are forced to reproduce. Unless they start going like rabbits, there wouldn't be overpopulation.

What do you think?

I voted "no", for the simple fact that humans are predatory in nature, from the dawn of man we lived to survive. Now, I'm not saying, biologically, we cannot live as herbivores, especially in today's society.
What I am saying is, our bodies are omnivorous, our teeth are just as well suited for cutting as they are for grinding, as well, our digestive tracts are well suited for both meat and plants. Most herbivores are almost entirely incapable of digesting meat, humans however, do it just fine. Our bodies, although not entirely dependent on meat, are adapted to eating meat as it is a much more effective way of acquiring the necessary fats and proteins to produce what chemicals it needs. As far as your argument about the whole eating a dead thing on the side of the road, that is a bit over-dramatized. We are not crazed to eat meat, because we are more intelligent than most animals, we are aware of taste, we would rather eat something that tastes nice than something that does not. As social beings we are able to eat basically what we want whenever we want, so it is unnecessary to eat raw, dead carcasses. To that as well, when most people are stranded and hungry the first food source they go for is meat, it is a more efficient food source for our bodies than vegetation. You must, as well take into consideration the fact of our adaptations over time, for the last 5000 or so years we have been able to cook meat, it tastes better, before that people had to eat raw meat they had no problems, as long as it was fresh. Humans are not carnivores, but we ARE predatory omnivores, we eat meat, but only fresh meat. We are able to eat fresh, raw meat without complications, besides taste of course. We wouldn't eat an animal on the side of the road even if we were still primal, because we are NOT scavengers, we are not biologically adapted to be scavengers.  

[Count_Vladislos_Draculia]

Regardless or wether or not our bodies 'want' to be herbivores, humans(in general) are omnivorous. It's based on what we eat, so shouldn't it be that simple?

In regard to the paragraph about the how meat is bad for you, the biggest reason meat is unhealthy to us is because of all the chemicals that people feed the animals to make them grow.  

[TenguHime]

Humans are omnivores because they're capable of eating both meat and vegetation. Vegetarianism is not the same thing as being an herbivore, because it's a choice, not a physical requirement on your body.  

[Unwary Wanderer]

I think what you really meant was "Were humans meant to be herbivorous". Because the fact is that we do consume meat, and that this consumption is not out of desperation to survive. The incisor and digestive thing has been pretty much covered already.  

[Iconoclast Enthusiast]

Both the tooth and digestive system arguments are not entirely sound.

Firstly, many herbivorous or mostly-herbivorous animals have large canines/incisors, such as pandas, horses, and chimpanzees. Not only that, but human incisors and canines are not even close the size of any other predators. They're actually much smaller than even many herbivores.

Secondly, our digestive systems are in fact not efficient at digesting meat. A predator's digestive tract is approximately 3 times the length of its body. An herbivore's digestive tract is approximately 12 times its body length, and humans are much closer to this approximation.

http://www.celestialhealing.net/physicalveg3.htm

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1594/is_1_13/ai_82352627

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vegetarian_foods.html

I'm not arguing either way, I'm just pointing out the flaw in these arguments.  

[Tenma Keigou]

Omnivores.

Multiple things you said are kind of contradictory.

Our canines are shorter yes, but just as capable for tearing connective tissue as they need to be, and on most peoples teeth, even the outside edges of the molars and other 'grinding' teeth are raised slightly above the top of the tooth, giving it a cutting ability if small.

Our jaw is hinged to move Vertically, the horizontal movement is a side-effect of our connective tissues and muscle, the flexibility allows for a little bit of sideways motion too, but most of the jaw strength is in closing it vertically.

And stomach acid isn't always what is used when an animal eats pieces of a carcass whole, it's also a use of the digestive system to break up objects, enzymes in the saliva of humans and animals alike are used to break up connective tissue to prep it for the stomachs acid, and it is just as strong as it needs to be for our eating habits.

On a side note, quite a few herbivores have extremely strong stomach acid as well, so it's not just a carnivore thing. Some plants, are very difficult to digest even partially.

And digesting quickly wouldn't completely effect the toxin intake. Even if digestive systems are longer, ours is still capable of handling meat well.

Lack of the need for nails has led to nails being weaker, and of course nail polish and other things like constantly clipping nails weakens them as well over time, they are strong if you let them grow and have the right nutrients in your body.

The reason people who consume animal products are ten times more prone to heart diseas and other ailments is the Additives in the meat, and the fact that our body doesn't digest the fats in an animal as well as some carnivores, another thing attributed to Evolution, we don't need to digest those fats, especially since most people cut it away. Or it gets cut at the butcher.

Babies don't crave meat, even in carnivores they drink milk until they are old enough to learn to hunt, again, humans babies drink milk, or should atleast. Formula has become more popular.

And not all animals eat Dead meat, Scavengers eat dead meat, and if humans were scavengers rather than hunters, we would also enjoy the smell and be drawn to it, but a human hunts live meat, unless it is starving, and if you are starving, a 2 day old carcass is going to be appetizing to you as well. whether you want to believe it or not.

yes artificial insemination does make the overpopulation argument wrong.

Plus, Humans didn't 'Accept' Animal products, they hunted to live.

The disease thing, Raw meat doesn't make you sick, Sushi and other dishes use raw fish and other raw meats and they are fine for human consumption, and are quite delicious as well, but the disease aspect comes from crowding multiple animals into an area, diseases spread, it's a side effect of domestication. Not our bodies diet. Even carnivores that eat diseased meat die from it.  

[Count_Vladislos_Draculia]

Humans as a species eat both meat and vegetable matter. Whether or not we need to eat meat, most do and those who don't are noted as having different eating habits. Biological or not, we are omnivores. And besides, we don't need claws, or teeth, or stronger stomach acid because we evolved in such a way that allowed us to deal with that stuff externally.
And people can't stand the smell of a rotting dead animal.