Humans are not designed to be carnivores.

Image via Wikipedia

Why is it that a majority of the population in Western countries believe that it is unnatural to not eat meat? In reality, with our simple powers of observation, we would see that humans simply are not designed as carnivores. If we were, we would be able to easily go out into the wild, and without the use of weapons or tools, be able to readily and consistently catch enough prey with our bare hands to sustain ourselves over a lifetime. The human race would very quickly go extinct under those conditions. The development of the human brain gave us the capacity to develop and use tools and weapons, but did that ability artificially change our diet to one that is not suited for the human body?

Our nimble hands and fingers were designed for harvesting, not hunting.  Our smooth, rounded teeth were designed for chewing plants, not piercing into flesh.  Other differences, according to Dr. William C. Roberts, M.D., include the intestinal tract.  In carnivores, it is quite short, only three times the length of the body; herbivores need a long intestinal tract.  The human digestive tract is almost six times the length of the body.  Other characteristics that categorize our bodies as herbivores:  Body cooling of carnivores is done by panting; herbivores, by sweating. Carnivores drink fluids by lapping; herbivores, by sipping. Carnivores produce their own vitamin C, whereas herbivores obtain it from plant foods. 

Scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder recently released information on the research of an ancient hominid, Paranthropus boisei.  Based on the structure of the jaw, teeth and skull, they came to the conclusion their diets consisted mainly of grasses and sedges (a grass-like wetland plant).

Your dogs and cats are carnivores, and that is the reason why they don’t have heart attacks—carnivores do not develop atherosclerosis!  The insidious plaque, or atherosclerosis that causes human heart attacks and strokes, happens only when herbivores are consuming a meat diet rich in cholesterol and saturated fats.  The mere fact that humans develop atherosclerosis puts them in the herbivore category—our bodies are not equipped to handle the cholesterol and saturated fat contained in meat.

To read more:

• http://www.baylorhealth.edu/Documents/BUMC%20Proceedings/2000%20Vol%2013/No.%202/13_2_%20Roberts%20_%20twenty%20questions.pdf
• http://www.baylorhealth.edu/Documents/BUMC%20Proceedings/1998%20Vol%2011/No.%204/Vol%2011_%204%20_%20Roberts%20_%20Facts%20and%20ideas.pdf
• http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/10/13/Studies-give-new-clues-to-ancient-diets/UPI-21091318545473/