Humans: Born meat-eaters or MADE meat-eaters?

Question

I'd like to know your thoughts on whether humans are naturally herbivores or omnivores. If you're going to participate in the discussion, please include proof and facts behind your argument, not just "Humans eat meat!". Unless you don't want to be taken seriously, try to include some actual thought in your comments and please respect what other people have to say.

And please no vegetarian bashing. Respect, people.

=]

Answer 1

We are born with the tools and metabolisms to be able to eat and digest many foods, meat included.  Rabbits are vegetarians because they can't digest meats, cows can process it sort of, but they are susceptible to many disorders from it.  Omnivores are so named because they can eat some meats and some vegetation and get benefits from both.  Humans can choose to be carnivores or herbivores because we can derive benefits from either, yet our bodies need certain amino acids which we cannot get from plants and we cannot make in our bodies.  I personally enjoy the taste of meat, but there are many who don't.  I think most of us eat a little too much, but if it makes you happy, so be it.  If you can adjust to a meatless diet and want to, go for it, but don't criticize me for what I like.

Answer 2

Born - we have teeth which are designed to tear through meat.

Answer 3

born. consider the caveman...while they ate some plants, during the iceage meat was the only thing to eat. and later groups such as the hunter gatherers ate meat. many caveman drawings clearly depict hunting scenes. on teh other hand, adam and eve were born into the GARDEN of eden full of fruit trees and edible plants. so it could go either way. personally, i believe humans were born omnivores and have needs sustainable by both plants and meat. when woman are pregnant, they need iron (red meat) just as much as they need minerals (vegeatbiles.) so i think 100%

omnivore! hope this makes sense  to you!

Answer 4

We humans are taught to eat meat. In all of my life I have never seen a baby who is being introduced to flesh foods accept a spoonful of flesh foods with a gurgle and a smile. Always the offending material is initially spit out, whereas peaches, peas, carrots and cereals are cheerfully accepted.

That fact has always seemed to me to be a clear indication that we are not intended to eat our fellow creatures. Of course our dentition is in total agreement with an herbivorous  diet as is the length of our intestine and our hcl levels, not to mention our musculature and bone structure; and also not to mention our total lack of talons and fangs to rend and claw. There are scriptural passages in several of the world's major faith traditions indicating that the plant based diet is the healthy and appropriate one for human kind. "Behold I give  the herb bearing tree it shall be as meat for thee." And then there are the dietary restrictions in Leviticus which Shakespeare played with in A Merchant of Venice -- you can have your pound of flesh but not one drop of blood - hence no flesh foods as you cannot get it without spilling blood.

I hope that helps.

Answer 5

Look to the animal kingdom.  Predators have their eyes in the front of their faces to give them excellent depth perception, while herbavores have eyes on the sides of their heads to increase their chances of escaping predators.  We have eyes on the front of our face.

Herbivores have flattened teeth designed to mash their foods into pulp.  Carnivores have sharp teeth designed to tear meat away from bone and hold onto their prey.  We have a combination, which tends to show that we are not very good hunters, so we have had to supplement our diets with non-meat proteins.

Herbivores, to be successful as a species, must be able to process all the nutrients found in green food sources.  To this end, many have multi-chambered stomachs while others have supplemental organs designed to digest cellulose.  We lack this capability completely.

Look at the diets of healthy vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores.  To stay healty, vegans have to either take supplements or eat massive quantities and varieties of non-meat food sources.  While it is possible to stay healthy and athletic as a vegan, it is difficult to get all the essential amino acids, especially when your body is constantly trying to repair damage done by exercise.  Vegetarians who eat dairy or eggs fare much better, especially if they eat eggs as a single egg contains all the protein one needs for a whole day.  For meat-eaters, getting enough protein in a day is simple.  The problem actually becomes the over-consumption of protein.

Finally, evolution has trained us to like things that are good for us and dislike things we shouldn't eat.  Carrots, broccoli, peppers, and peas taste good.  Belladonna, nightshade, poison ivy, and tomato leaves taste horrible.  The fact that meat, fish, and eggs taste good to most of us is a pretty good indicator that these items are safe to eat and nutritous.

I say eat what you want.  We are perfect examples of omnivores.  While our biology predisposes toward a certain way of being, it is our choices that define us as humans.  If you have an aversion to meat or animal products, whether it's philisophical or taste preference, then that's your choice.  As long as you respect my choice for being an omnivore, then I'll respect your choice for being otherwise.

Answer 6

Well, find me a little kid who doesn't like hot dogs and I'll have a discussion with you.

We are quite obviously omnivores.  It's not like eating meat shuts down your digestive system.

Answer 7

Born omnivores.

Our array of teeth is well adapted to different types of food, including meat. And while iron is present in some plant materials, not all regions had those kinds of plants. The current availability of so many kinds of foods is a very recent phenomenon for humans. Also if you look at the old hunter/gatherer lifestyle it would be hard to maintain a balanced, fulfilling diet by scrounging for plant material. We as humans don't eat leaves and grass like our prey does. Also the human body requires a fair amount of protein, and there again, very few sources of plant protein in many parts of the world. So for iron and protein alone, you would need to eat meat. There simply was not an alternative until very recently.

Vegetarianism is not a natural diet for humans. It is a morally chosen diet. If that's what your beliefs lead you to, that's your choice and I wish you luck with that. But it is just that, your belief. It is not a universal truth.

Answer 8

I think "human" is too broad a term. It's like saying "monkey" in reference to the mass family of apes.

It's PROVEN that some people do better on vegetarian diets, some do better on canivourous diets. With all our interbreeding, we've made a freakish species that contains most the same genetics, but tends to lean two different ways depending upon lineage.

So, my answer to your question? Is both.

Answer 9

We are naturally omnivores, we have enzymes in our bodies that are only present in omnivorous or carnivorous animals designed primarily for digesting meat. Therefore we are born with the ability to eat and digest meat.

However, our evolutionary background was shaped much longer by herbivorous creatures than ones that ate meat. Our intestinal tract is tremendously long and our bodies react similiarly to a herbivorous creature's to meat - we develop atherosclerosis, become somewhat more susceptible to some forms of cancer, are more likely to get heart disease. If you dissect a carnivorous animal's heart, their major arteries, and take a good look, you'll find that their bodies don't really develop sedimentary deposits of cholesterol and fat. Their bodies are developed for a meat-intensive diet. We, like herbivorous animals that are forced to eat meat in experiments, develop serious conditions much more easily, develop heart disease at a rate incomparable to other omnivores and to carnivores.

Therefore I think that eating as much meat as we do is a learned thing, mostly because people are either uneducated about what it can do to your body or they have an apathy or lack of insight as to how most meat on the market is "made". Unlike making plastic cups on a conveyor belt, which can be done in a sterile and cold unfeeling environment, genetically breeding, raising and slaughtering animals in such a way shows disregard for a natural ecosystem and for the sentient nature of most of the food animals we devour senselessly.

I believe that we are designed to be able to eat meat, maybe as a garnish, maybe to survive, on occassion. But we are not designed to eat meat ANYWHERE NEAR as much as we do in a Western diet. Our diets should be overwhelmingly, if not completely, made up of plant foods. Just because we can eat meat and live through it doesn't mean it doesn't add up, that it is justifiable to what it reflects upon our society, our impact on the environment, and our own personal health.

Sure, 'cavemen' ate it, but their life expectancy was what - 30 years? 40 years? What did they die of? They didn't have the life span we do now, where the consequences of a poor diet become very evident once you reach 50, 60 years of age. We also have an unnatural system for acquiring meat, and our meat is full of chemicals and toxins now that weren't present even a hundred years ago.

For those like me, with a direct ethical opposition to eating meat, a plant-based diet is almost easy, effortless, undeniably good for my body when compared to a traditional American diet that is loaded with four, five servings of meat a day (look at portion size - is your chicken breast the size of a deck of cards? It's more likely the size of your whole hand). While everyone in my family is stricken with diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other serious conditions, I remain the only person from my generation in my family that has remained relatively healthy on all aspects, with the occassional cold but no chronic diseases.

Answer 10

Lock a baby in a room with an apple and a rabbit, what's it going to eat?

Eating meat is a learned behavoir, so no one is "born" a meat-eater, just like no one is "born" a Christian. Goals and morals set out by parents or guardians will decide.

Human bodies are much closer related to herbivores. Are stomach acid is to low, and intestines are to long. Meat sits in our stomachs for three days decaying. For all of you using teeth as an example, go catch and animal and tear through it with your razor sharp canines. Make sure to use your nails to rip the flesh as well. Meat also causes illness in the human body, concider societies that ingest large amounts of meat, all have higher weight, heart, and blood disorders. Societies the consume little meat have a much smaller BUI per person, and a cleaner bill of health.

Cavemen were also largely herbivores, their diet consisted of only about 5% meat. They witness other animals killing animals, recognized it as a source of food, and tried it themselves, but they needed weapons to do it. Obviously not MADE to do. Added protein did not make us "super intellegent", if that were true actual carnivores (consume ONLY meat) would be ruling the planet and eating us.

Answer 11

I believe we were designed to eat fruits vegetables and grains and for some reason we strayed and liked the way meat tasted so we evolved to eat meat our  teeth are basically designed not to eat meat if we we meant to eat meat from the beginning we would have teeth like a tiger or a wolf are k 9 teeth were to cut into tougher plant matter not meat

Answer 12

Considering that we have teeth for tearing meat, we were born meat eaters.  But omnivores, as you stated.  If we were supposed to be vegetarians we would have all flat teeth, like cows have.  It is your choice, though.  You just have to make sure you still eat enough protein or you won't get the proper nourishment you need.

Answer 13

we start life by consuming animal products (mothers milk). i guess that's not really eating meat though. naturally we are creatures that are the biggest opportunists that have ever roamed the planet. we manipulate everything around us to suit our needs. damming rivers, building roads in inaccesable areas, draining swamp lands to grow crops, ect. so i'd say naturally, we are survivalists.

Answer 14

We do not have the canine teeth and claws to bring down animals and tear their flesh, like other carnivores omnivores. First human had never born with bow & axes to hunt. Even the use of fire is considered modern invention. After born, it took him months to learn how to walk, run and escape. This phenomenon is totally conflicting the characteristics of a natural carnivores omnivores. He would certainly a fruitarian by creation.

Nevertheless...

You put a BABY in a crib with an APPLE and a RABBIT.

If it EATS the RABBIT and PLAYS with the APPLE,

I'll buy you a hamburger.

Answer 15

Made meat-eaters

Answer 16

I believe MADE: I raised 2 children & 4 grandchilderen.. they never like meat by loved fruits & veggies.

I have never been able to eat animal flesh or eggs with out some type of sauce, catsup, BBQ etc.

Answer 17

For the people who say we have teeth designed for tearing meat: have you ever tried killing a cow yourself and then tearing through its fur and skin with your teeth and consuming the meat raw? How about a pig? I'd like to see somebody who claims we have a meat eaters teeth by design actually eat an animal the way they think nature intended. Our teeth are not that sharp. If humans really were designed to be meat eaters I'd say that in the wild we'd be mostly eating squirrels (if we could catch them), insects, and eggs that were stolen from nests.

Answer 18

Most of our diet is what we have learned.

To those who say that the only way we can eat meat is to cook it, bull!!!  Cooked meat is an acquired habit.

Answer 19

Hello,, Humans have canine teeth so that makes me say we are born natural meat eaters. But the whole learning process requires teaching and disipline.

Answer 20

Humans are omnivores. There is no doubt about that because we are able to digest meat. However, we are only supposed to eat meat when there's nothing else available. (IN a survival situation)...

Oh and to the people up there: compare your sharp teeth and mighty claws to that of a cat.

Answer 21

people were never supposed to eat flesh of anything it even says in the bible we were only supposed to eat from nature but someone decided to get all hedonistic and started killing and eating defensless animals (clue:people dont even have stomach acids that properly digest meat thats why it rots unlike animals) we were MADE omnivores but we were supposed to be herbivores i guess when Adam and Eve screwed it up in the garden of eden they REALLY screwed it up for everyone...

Answer 22

Humans/homo sapiens are born meat eaters. Vegers simply opt out. When our ancestors began to eat meat it was the catalyst behind the evolution into the homo sapiens' brain. The increase in protein caused a transformation which became dominant. So, homo sapiens is a meat eater right out of the gate.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong in this day and age. It's not our right nor our privilege to judge what others eat as we are all imperfect.

"Humans cannot process meat without including artificial processes such as heat etc." This is wholly inaccurate. I eat raw meat on occasion and my body has no trouble digesting it. Raw beef, fish etc.....The reason for cooking the meat isn't because we can't digest it, it's to kill bacteria. A human could dig right into a fresh kill of an animal that was allowed to live it's natural life with no problem whatsoever.

Answer 23

humans might be omnivores, its a bit irrelavent to me,

I'm a veggie by CHOICE and perfectly happy to accept my body is designed for an onivorous diet but i have one roadblock that no-one seems to be able to remove.....

Humans cannot process meat without including artificial processes such as heat etc. No other meat-eating animal in the world has to do this.

That doesn't sound very "natural" to me

Whereas I can quite happily eat many fruits, veggies, nuts and cereals raw.

Now that DOES sound natural

If a human was capable of jumping on a cows back and taking a bite, i might let the "we're designed to eat meat" arguement run a bit longer. But really, there is nothing natural about human meat eating processes.

The "teeth" arguement is a bit silly really, what other meat-eating animal has the same pathetic attempt at canine teeth we have ?

And people saying if we were not designed to eat meat we would have flat teeth like cows. Sorry, thats a clear misunderstanding of biology. Cows and sheep are ruminants, they need to crush the vegetables because they rely on fermentation to break it down. We have a different stomach biology that does not require crushing of veggies. There are many herbivores that have small pointed teeth like ours - they use then to parr away at tough husks and fruit.

Answer 24

Well...our anatomy indicates that we evolved as omnivores over a long period of time.  This is because for a long time, eating meat was necessary for human survival, since back in caveman days you couldn't just pop into Safeway every Saturday.  But with the availability of a large variety of healthy food, eating meat is no longer necessary for maintaining one's health and good nutrition.

Answer 25

born becasuse we have teeth that are sharpish and just not all molars(like cows), right when you come out of your mom your drinking milk of some kind, (store or mothers), also we have an apendex which helps digest raw meat. But you dont see us with more then 1 stomach like cows