Why do vegetarians keep insisting that humans didn't evolve to eat meat?

Question

And that Chimps and Gorillas are vegetarians (untrue)?

This is serious, and not trolling. Where do they get their info? What books and anthropology journals say this?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WDFh5JdYh7I

Chimps hunting a monkey. Grim.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Meat+in+the+human+diet:+an+anthropological+perspective.-a0169311689
An actual anthroplolgy paper that describes the way hominids ate, complete with bone mineral analysis.

Up_down, some people do eat meat and fish raw. Apparently it's easier to digest if it's uncooked, especially the fat. A bit risky for ecoli though.

Sigh. Monk, humans have an intestinal tract that is not as short as a carnivores, or as long as a herbivores. It's in between. We also have enzymes in our stomach that only affect meat. And one that only digests raw meat. That doesn't sound like a herbivore to me.

Ditto, gorillas have been observed to deliberately eat insects and invertebrates.
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:w0q3v6krz6cJ:www.animalcorner.co.uk/wildlife/gorillas/gorillas_westernlowland.html+gorillas+eat+insects&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=uk
http://books.google.com/books?id=zB1243xWpwgC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=gorillas+eat+insects&source=web&ots=1DZyCyw7yv&sig=C1WIp2EEBjVMgQbALm-2OnP-odI

Ms trustme, this human needs to consume animal purines to treat her multiple sclerosis. Look up the link between uric acid and MS. And there are plenty of meat gorging tribes like the Saami and Masai that have very low rates of heart disease and cancer. They generally have excellent health, and tooth decay is rare.

Answer 1

Anyone who says this, does not know much about the differences between a "leaf eater", meat eater, or one that is designed to be both. Humans are designed to be both. The difference between us and wild animals, is that we have the CHOICE as to what we eat. Animals do not have the luxury of jumping in the car and buzzing down to the grocery store.

Ask whoever is making this statement why then, do we have "canine" teeth (for ripping flesh) and why are our back teeth pointed, and why would we need such strong JAWS if we only needed to eat veggies. AND, unless vegetarians take supplements, they cannot get certain vitamins we NEED without eating meat.

These people are just grabbing for an excuse to justify their choice. What ever. Why not just say "I do not eat meat". Why the need for justification through false information.

Answer 2

This is an ambiguous question because the fact is that vegetarians are both right and wrong in this situation. It is true that we evolved with molars designed for consumption of leafy greens, and incisors specifically made for meat in mind. However, by all means there are no true herbivores or carnivores; both will eat on both sides of the spectrum if needs be. We did not evolve strictly to eat plants and our front most teeth are certainly evident, but we didn't evolve to strictly eat meat either. In the end it all comes down to personal preference, you will never convince a die-hard vegetarian that we are designed to ingest meat; just as you won't convince a meat lover that we were designed to eat greens.

Answer 3

It's a typical example of people taking a fact and twisting it to suit their argument, the fact being that we do not NEED to eat meat, we can survive perfectly well off vegetation, fruit, nuts etc. As far as evolution is concerned we evolved to be omnivorous, hence our mouths containing teeth for cutting AND chewing. That way we can get the most out of whatever environment we find ourselves in. Besides, there are a lot of so called vegetarians who eat fish; I knew one once and when I asked her why she said "because fish aren't animals"! Needless to say I was shocked, especially given that she was not a stupid person by nature.

But it's not all veggies that preach what you put, just the more extreme of the yoghurt weavers. I think the main reason why most vegetarians (or at least the ones I know) don't eat meat is for moral reasons and is to do with how livestock are kept or the means by which wild animals are caught. I mean I eat meat, I love it and it's a large part of my diet, but I won't eat some things for moral reasons eg low grade chicken.

We have developed the world to suit our needs and as such people can afford to be choosy. But stick a veggie in the middle of a forest with nothing but a knife and I gurantee you that within a few days they'll be hunting animals.

Answer 4

I personally don't know about that but we surely don't need meat to survive

What is healthy about decaying animal flesh thats loaded with growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics, cholesterol, purines, amines, blood, pus, parasites, bacteria, urine, fecal matter, and a host of other things. The human body doesnt know how to process a protein so similar to its own, and it rots in the colon for ages before it digests. Nothing healthy about it that cant be obtained from a healthy, plant a grain based diet

If humans were really need to eat meat why would there be non-meat kinds of foods that provide all the benefits of meat and more without all the health risks?

P.S. Not eating meat lowers risks for many diseases; talk to the people in Costa Rica who live past 100 and ask them what they're eating; they're sure not living to be 110 on animal meat lol

Answer 5

The design and shape of the molars are similar to those on herbivores. It's the incisors and canines that screw up the theory.

The addition of the additional molars (wisdom teeth) later in life might indicate a preference for plants at that time.

Then again maybe it's that they're eatin' tree bark up there in North Korea to survive.

Answer 6

I'm vegetarian and i don't believe we evolved to not eat meat. We are omnnivores - hence why we have canine teeth. However, we don't need to eat meat.

Chimps and gorillas are omnivores.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.

But... humans have evolved to a certain point where we are aware of our impact on the planet and some people take the option that is better for the environment and more morally sound, that is, to not eat meat.

Answer 7

Obviously it suits their beliefs to keep repeating this argument. I think they may well have a point as well. I believe I'm right in saying that humans don't have the type of teeth or digestive system that is best suited to eating meat.

Answer 8

We have clearly evolved to eat a mixed diet of meat and vegetables. Our closest relatives the chimps eat a mixed diet and evidence shows the last know human species related to us the Neanderthal ate a largely meat diet.

Answer 9

Because we have to cook meat. If we were meant to eat it we would be able to eat it raw. We don't have to cook vegetables but we do anyway. I'm not vegetarian because i don't see the point of not eating meat because other people are going to eat meat anyway but I do respect them.
Olivia
xox

Answer 10

We have incisors to rip flesh. We are more evolved to eat mostly fruits, and vegetables, but man has also been a creature of opportunity. Scavenging a kill made by a predator before we fully gained good hunting ability which really has not been that long ago.