Why do humans have to cook their food (meat)?

Question

If you think about it, most animals can eat their food raw....if we eat our meat raw...we will most likely be sick. Especially if we eat raw beef, pork, chicken, etc.

Answer 1

The human immune system is very weak. So by cooking it we kill most of the things that could be harmful to us like tape worms and it would be easier to digest!

Answer 2

Animals eat meat raw immediately after killing it.  This does not give bacteria time to grow on the food and leave poisonous waste products.  It takes very little time for raw meat to become dangerous if you leave it between 41 and 140 degrees F.  After a few hours, even if you cook it, the waste products of the bacteria remain and are detrimental to your health.  The bacteria are only one such reason that raw meat is dangerous to eat.

Answer 3

Meat contains live parasites. Cooking not only kills the parasites, but also makes meat taste better and more tender. Our ancestors might have discovered after a forest fire that barbecued meat tasted much better. Soon our ancestors developed cooking methods that made food more enjoyable.

Answer 4

We can eat raw meat just fine.  Just hop on over to your local sushi restaurant.

Beef:  may be contaminated with E. coli

Pork:  may contain worm parasites

Chicken:  may be contaminated with salmonella

People long ago must have found out that they'd have fewer tummy aches and health problems if they cooked the meat first.

Answer 5

Humans are very weak; we have weaker immune and digestive systems than more carnivores.