My response to people that say humans HAVE to eat meat...

Contrarian

As they say when, I come into the room, "One toke over the line, Sweet Jesus!"

Only one?

VegesaurusRex

Our physiology is made up to eat both animal products and plant material, we're not herbivores. Plain and simple.

You are wrong, plain and simple. Our dentition, mandibular structure and intestines are all herbivore. We are not carnivores. As for omnivore, I have yet to hear a defintiion of that word that makes sense. A carnivore eats mostly meat. A herbivore eats mostly vegetables. What does an omnivore eat?

MaximalLife

God wants us to eat animals.
Tis the will of thy creator.....:drinker:

I can easily prove this.
Answer for yourself:
IF GOD DID NOT WANT US EATING ANIMALS, WHY DID HE MAKE THEM OUT OF MEAT?
Case closed....

jknoell

While I agree with what people are saying regarding the condesending tone of this original post, I would like to point out something else many people have hit on: the great thing about living in this individualistic country is that I can choose what I want to put into my body. I can be a vegan, vegitarian, pescatarian, omnivore, carnivore, dinosaur... oops. Got a little carried away there. Ahem... so, anyway, we have the freedom to choose. So I do think this post was created to cause drama, but I guess that is okay too, because we have the right to debate over it! I eat meat, in very small quanities. I know friends who are vegans that are in very terrible health and some vegans in great health. I know people that have never felt better when adopting a vegitarian lifestyle and others that never felt more tired (low iron) while on a vegitarian diet.

Main point: isn't all about moderation? I mean, we talk about chocolate and pizza and how if we feel we need to have some, consume it in moderation. Isn't it the same for any other food? Cabbage is not bad for you, but eating ONLY cabbage is not healthy (for all those that starved on the cabbage soup diet that was all the rage a few years ago). We need a good variety of foods to get what our bodies need - but I see no problem with people finding their own ways of doing that.

It IS a shame that vegans and vegitarians feel the need to defend their choices, especially when some of them post things like this. It's a step back in equal rights for vegans/vegitarians.

NicoWoodruff

I respect those who choose to eat veggie but I get tired of hearing meat described as an "addiction" which it isn't. I choose to be a conscientious omnivore and that should be respected too.

A lot of veggie folks eat lots and lots of cheese.. all cheese is full of mold and I've never felt healthier since giving it up.

I've lost 30 pounds eating lean meat, eggs and fresh raw and cooked veggies. I have relatives and friends who are mostly vegetarian but they eat cheese and refined flour and are very overweight.

And now I'll really get this party started by posting this link. I feel every person trying to be vegan should read this young woman's brave blog. http://voraciouseats.com/2010/11/19/a-vegan-no-more/

Best wishes to you all, no matter what dietary approach you choose, may it be the one that's truly best for your body, not just the one you *think* is best.

VegesaurusRex

As someone with 3/4 of a PhD (so far lol) in studying diet-related obesity and metabolic disease and dysregulation....false.

As someone who deals with scientific literature every day, I really appreciate cites to studies.

By the way, I do not imply or agree with the ad Verecundiam argument, which I believe you were advocating. Experts make mistakes. In my experience, frequently.

The experts aren't the ones doing the studies. It's their grad students. Maybe you should read from journals with higher impact factors.

Gee, I guess Nature, Cell, Science, PNAS, PLoS One, JBC, and the other journals I read are shoddy. Tell me which ones I should be reading.

Well then I'd love to hear about all these mistakes so I can avoid making them in the future.

I sent you one cite, and am waiting for your first citation to anything. I don't know what you are doing so I can't tell you what mistakes you are making.

iKapuniai

mmmm.... Meat.

hiker282

I rarely get sick, nor does my family. We do eat meat. Correlation does not equal causation. Humanity has been omnivorous for well over 100,000 years, We don't HAVE to eat meat, but boy it sure is scrumptious to carve into a nice, juicy steak. I love me a good turkey on Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas. Things just would not be as happy for me without the yummy meat in my life.

There are those who get on their moralistic high horse by saying they care about the planet and the fluffy little bunny rabbits because they have chosen not to inflict their dietary support on those animals. That's fine. More for me.

Your morals do not trump my own which understands that every living thing on this planet has to take from something else to sustain itself. Humanity is just part of the chain. When I die, the worms and plants can take what I have to offer and use it to sustain themselves. I won't need it anymore.

Kill to eat or to keep from being eaten. That is the jungle law.

VegesaurusRex

As they say when, I come into the room, "One toke over the line, Sweet Jesus!"

Only one?

It's a song, Sweetie.

Contrarian

As they say when, I come into the room, "One toke over the line, Sweet Jesus!"

Only one?

It's a song, Sweetie.

Yes. It was joke, Daffodil.

_VoV

God wants us to eat animals.
Tis the will of thy creator.....:drinker:

I can easily prove this.
Answer for yourself:
IF GOD DID NOT WANT US EATING ANIMALS, WHY DID HE MAKE THEM OUT OF MEAT?
Case closed....

I'm sorry, MaximalLife. You make me laugh a lot on these boards, but this 'if God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat' is an old bromide to any vegetarian of even short duration.

I appreciate the attempt at humor, but I can't award originality points to you this time.

VegesaurusRex

I rarely get sick, nor does my family. We do eat meat. Correlation does not equal causation. Humanity has been omnivorous for well over 100,000 years, We don't HAVE to eat meat, but boy it sure is scrumptious to carve into a nice, juicy steak. I love me a good turkey on Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas. Things just would not be as happy for me without the yummy meat in my life.

There are those who get on their moralistic high horse by saying they care about the planet and the fluffy little bunny rabbits because they have chosen not to inflict their dietary support on those animals. That's fine. More for me.

Your morals do not trump my own which understands that every living thing on this planet has to take from something else to sustain itself. Humanity is just part of the chain. When I die, the worms and plants can take what I have to offer and use it to sustain themselves. I won't need it anymore.

Kill to eat or to keep from being eaten. That is the jungle law.

First of all, chronic diseases resulting from meat eating do not normally present in someone of the age you appear to be.

Second of all, as I have said, humans are a herbivore species. Check your dentition against that of a dog or cat, note the different mandibular structure, and although I hesitate to suggest to a meat lover to check the intestine length of a human against that of a true carnivore.

Finally, anyone with a modicum of morality would realize that the Kantian Catigorical Imparative (the Golden Rule to you) applies as the most basic test of morality that there is. You fail.

songbyrdsweet

As someone with 3/4 of a PhD (so far lol) in studying diet-related obesity and metabolic disease and dysregulation....false.

As someone who deals with scientific literature every day, I really appreciate cites to studies.

By the way, I do not imply or agree with the ad Verecundiam argument, which I believe you were advocating. Experts make mistakes. In my experience, frequently.

The experts aren't the ones doing the studies. It's their grad students. Maybe you should read from journals with higher impact factors.

Gee, I guess Nature, Cell, Science, PNAS, PLoS One, JBC, and the other journals I read are shoddy. Tell me which ones I should be reading.

Well then I'd love to hear about all these mistakes so I can avoid making them in the future.

I sent you one cite, and am waiting for your first citation to anything. I don't know what you are doing so I can't tell you what mistakes you are making.

Unless you're an "expert" on every single method ever written, you can't tell me what mistakes I'm making anyway.

songbyrdsweet

I rarely get sick, nor does my family. We do eat meat. Correlation does not equal causation. Humanity has been omnivorous for well over 100,000 years, We don't HAVE to eat meat, but boy it sure is scrumptious to carve into a nice, juicy steak. I love me a good turkey on Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas. Things just would not be as happy for me without the yummy meat in my life.

There are those who get on their moralistic high horse by saying they care about the planet and the fluffy little bunny rabbits because they have chosen not to inflict their dietary support on those animals. That's fine. More for me.

Your morals do not trump my own which understands that every living thing on this planet has to take from something else to sustain itself. Humanity is just part of the chain. When I die, the worms and plants can take what I have to offer and use it to sustain themselves. I won't need it anymore.

Kill to eat or to keep from being eaten. That is the jungle law.

First of all, chronic diseases resulting from meat eating do not normally present in someone of the age you appear to be.

Second of all, as I have said, humans are a herbivore species. Check your dentition against that of a dog or cat, note the different mandibular structure, and although I hesitate to suggest to a meat lover to check the intestine length of a human against that of a true carnivore.

Finally, anyone with a modicum of morality would realize that the Kantian Catigorical Imparative (the Golden Rule to you) applies as the most basic test of morality that there is. You fail.

For such a metabolic expert, you're certainly leaving out a good bit of the digestive process. Digestive enzymes, BCAAT, BCKAD...?

adrian_indy

If humans weren't supposed to eat meat, then why do we have those pesky incisor teeth. They are for ripping and tearing....meat. And yes, most eastern cultures survive on non meat diets......and they are 5'2" and way 100 pounds. They don't eat meat because they can't affort it, not because it's a choice. Let's go stand in some communist chinese families house. You can hand them a bowl of rice and some broccoli and tell them how awesome their non meat diet is. I'll be sitting in the corner not saying a word with a four 18 oz Ribeyes. I'm willing to bet they will beat you silly with a bottle of soy sauce and join me for a real dinner.

VegesaurusRex

As they say when, I come into the room, "One toke over the line, Sweet Jesus!"

Only one?

It's a song, Sweetie.

Yes. It was joke, Daffodil.

Okay. Just for you, I will try to play nice.

LabRat529

Furthermore, your claim that we can prevent and reverse most illnesses with diet is absolute bull ****.

Not true at all. I have heard this on so many shows in regards to diabetes, etc. If people change the way they're eating, the world would be a healthier place and health care cost would go down.

I only wish that the world would stop eating any meat from a cow. Trust me, I LOVE steak, meatballs, etc. It would be hard.
But realistically, cows are the #1 cause of global warming and the break down of our ozone. SO I'd give it up if it meant a more sustainable planet. Completely off the topic but just saying....

You didn't read everything that I said. The op claimed "most illnesses". I said... that was bull. But I also acknowledged that some illnesses can be reversed by diet. Illnesses related to obesity have a good track record of being diet dependent- diabetes, high blood pressure, PCOS, etc...

Other illnesses have shown some responsiveness to diet as well, like fibromyalgia.

But to claim MOST illnesses can be reversed by diet is irresponsible.

jsnearly

Vegetarian; an old Indian word for bad hunter.

BarbWhite09

Why exactly are you so concerned about someone eating or not eating meat? Their own choice. Not your business.

VegesaurusRex

As someone with 3/4 of a PhD (so far lol) in studying diet-related obesity and metabolic disease and dysregulation....false.

As someone who deals with scientific literature every day, I really appreciate cites to studies.

By the way, I do not imply or agree with the ad Verecundiam argument, which I believe you were advocating. Experts make mistakes. In my experience, frequently.

The experts aren't the ones doing the studies. It's their grad students. Maybe you should read from journals with higher impact factors.

Gee, I guess Nature, Cell, Science, PNAS, PLoS One, JBC, and the other journals I read are shoddy. Tell me which ones I should be reading.

Well then I'd love to hear about all these mistakes so I can avoid making them in the future.

I sent you one cite, and am waiting for your first citation to anything. I don't know what you are doing so I can't tell you what mistakes you are making.

Unless you're an "expert" on every single method ever written, you can't tell me what mistakes I'm making anyway.

You'd be surprised. But so far you haven't said anything that indicates to me that you have ever actually been in a lab, other than maybe Bio 101. Why don't you state what your point is. What research you have to back it up, and why you believe 64 years of research (since the Framingham study) are wrong.