“ Human beings have the gastrointestinal tract structure of a ‘ committed ’ herbivore , and do not show the mixed structural features one expects and finds in anatomical omnivores such as bears and raccoon . Thus , from comparing the gastrointestinal tract of humans to that of carnivores , herbivores , and omnivores , we must conclude that humankind ' s GI tract is designed for a purely plant-food diet .” ~ Dr . Milton Mills
“ Stepping away from animal exploitation , I was able to heighten my perspective enough to see through the greatest conspiracy of all ; the conspiracy that has convinced the whole human race that they are predatory animals , fashioned to hunt and kill prey and consume their body parts ; a conspiracy that has persuaded an unknowing and trusting public that they have the right to sacrifice the lives of other sentient beings for their pleasure , comfort and convenience ; a conspiracy that has cost humans their physical and spiritual health , the earth its precious natural resources , and caused the animal kingdom untold suffering via the cruel termination of billions upon billions of their innocent lives .” ~ anonymous
* NOTE : There is actually no such thing as a “ standard omnivore ” ... What there IS is a wide-ranging gradient of omnivorous species , many of which having much of their GI tract resembling that of carnivores ( wolverines – who eat primarily other animals , possums & badgers – who eat primarily insects &/ or earthworms , raccoons – who obtain roughly two-thirds of their calories from eating other animals , dogs & bears & chickens – who eat whatever is available , and maned wolves – who split their animal & plant-based calories 50 / 50 ). Then there are omnivores whose GI tracts start to more closely resemble their herbivorous cousins ( pigs – who get the majority of their calories from plants , and squirrels & chipmunks – who obtain roughly 85 % of their caloric intake from plant sources ). Finally , at the far end of the spectrum , we have the “ frugivores ” – chimps and bonobos and gorillas and orangutans … and humans ; animals who naturally obtain over 99 % of their caloric intake from plant-based sources . Yes , we humans are an unusual species , as we have few carnivorous digestive traits ( hydrochloric acid in our stomachs being one of them ), many dozens of traits common to herbivores , and a few that are common to neither . Thus , our relatively unique classification as " frugivores " – just like our relatively unique fruit & nut-based diet – is quite accurate indeed .
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