Myth # 74 : " But humans are natural omnivores ."
Myth # 74 : " But humans are natural omnivores ."
Interestingly enough , of all the arguments I have heard by meat-eaters attempting to defend their consumption of flesh , this one seems to be by far the most common – that somehow our mere ability to digest meat , along with the mere presence of rather unimpressive “ canines ” in the human dental pattern , is enough to justify the imprisonment , abuse , murder and consumption of our sentient animal cousins . And yet once again , science simply does not support this myth either …
Yes , over the millennia we humans have indeed developed the ability to eat animal flesh and consume animal secretions to survive in times of starvation , and yet the vast majority of our digestive physiology is clearly designed to consume plant material . This fact explains why meat-eaters live noticeably shorter lives than vegans , and also why meat-eaters & dairy-consumers suffer dramatically higher incidences of cancer , heart disease , diabetes , stroke and osteoporosis than humans who have adopted a plant-based diet instead .
And if the dramatic & documented health benefits of going vegan ( see Myth # 16 previously ) are not proof enough that we humans are primarily plant-eaters by nature (“ frugivores ”, actually – mammals designed to almost exclusively eat a diverse array of fruits , vegetables , seeds & nuts ), then the factual evidence of the physiological makeup of our bodies should do so . Indeed , when we compare the basic physical traits of humans to other animals , it becomes astoundingly clear that our bodies bear a remarkably close resemblance to herbivores – and are remarkably different from the bodies of most meat-oriented omnivores * and obligate carnivores … Consider the following small sample of these traits for your enlightenment :
Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human facial muscles are well-developed … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human jaws have an expanded angle … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human jaw joints are found above the plane of our molars … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human jaws do not shear our food , but chew it with a side-to-side motion … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , humans ' primary jaw muscles are the masseter & the pterygoids … Unlike carnivores & meatoriented omnivores , human mouth openings are small compared to our head size … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human incisors are broad , flattened & spade-shaped … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human canines are short & blunted … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human molars are flattened with cusps … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , humans must first chew their food to digest it properly … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human saliva contains carbohydratedigesting enzymes … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human stomach-acidity has a pH level of 4 to 5 when food is present … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human stomachs have a capacity that is less than 30 % of their entire digestive tract … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human small intestines are over 10 times their body length … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human colons are long & sacculated … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human livers cannot detoxify Vitamin A … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , human kidneys produce moderately concentrated urine … Unlike carnivores & meat-oriented omnivores , humans have flattened nails instead of claws .
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