Are humans designed to eat meat or not?

[shaunbrook]

Hey guys so I have been doing a lot of reading on this subject and apparently humans are not designed to eat meat at all! The only reason we started to eat meat is because we developed tools to kill. We are no way fast enough, nimble enough or have sharp fangs or claws to catch prey or the digestive system to eat raw meat! What do you guys think to this idea and how many of you out there are vegetarian?

Enjoy this topic guys=]

And I hope its in the correct area of the forum. I do apologise if not!

[buzzingtalk]

I don't think we are 'designed' as such, more that through years of evolution and dietary changes, humans have become tolerant of certain foods and have learnt to digest things better. I don't think red meat is good though, it turns your stomach into a graveyard and takes weeks to pass through...leaner meats (if thats what you call it?) pass through quickly and provide quick energy and nutrients. I don't eat meat personally, and I don't think you have to eat meat, but it works for some.

[shaunbrook]

Over the years we have become tolerant to meat and dairy true. People say that you can't get enough nutrients from been a veggie how ever 90% of dinosaurs were veggies and they we as big a a house, the biggest primate on the planet is the gorilla and is a veggie! There are loads of things which point towards humans been born veggies=] We are self aware so we have the ability to choose weather we eat meat or not even tho we technically poison ourselves every time you chomp down on a banging sirloin=] After reading this I will be changing my diet drastically! No more meat for me after the freezer and fridge is empty I feel=]

[alldigging]

Designed or evolved?

[LilithPaige]

Well it really depends on how strictly you follow what we were designed to eat. I mean unless you personally grow everything that you eat and drink then you take in a lot of different foods and chemicals that we were never supposed to eat.
I eat very little meat, sometimes a bacon sarnie is too hard to resist or a chicken curry But mostly I stick to veggies through personal choice and well basically whether my first thought when I grab a packet of meat is either that animal being killed or how nice it would taste with such and such. I think I eat less meats at that time of the month, maybe my hormones make me more emotional to the plight of the animals I don't know....

[shaunbrook]

Designed or evolved?

Depends if you believe in conspiracy theory's or not haha

[Bigmallly]

the biggest primate on the planet is the gorilla and is a veggie!

That's cos we can't cook...............

[chris]

Good topic for a debate, but before any personal comments are made to each other about being a meat eater or vegetarian, or otherwise let me just say that we'll close the thread/take appropriate action if it does start decending into chaos

I used to eat meat, maybe 5/6 times a week - but since meeting my wife (who was veggie, who now eats meat) we only eat it 2, 3 times a week maximum. Since eating this way I feel much, much better - less lethargic etc. A lot of my friends will eat red meat, and have no veg with it. Perhaps 1 or 2 potatoes if they're feeling in a 'veggie' mood. I dread to think what toll that's taking on their digestive system.

Either way though, we try to eat "fair". By "fair" I mean by buying decent/fairtrade produce as locally as possible - that works well for us in terms of ethics and quality of food. (We might not be able to eat the most expensive cuts of meat, but we eat decent meat - perhaps a less valued cut ).

[Bren In Pots]

Since I've been growing my own veg we've been eating a lot less meat, have others found the same thing ?

[shaunbrook]

Yea growing your own does help me to eat more veg! I went 77 days been a veggie and as Chris said I felt awesome! My body lost fat not muscle! And I wasn't getting and coughs or colds! I'm not pushing been a veggie on anyone but the facts do sway in favour of been a veggie! I've already started with a tender stem broccoli and asparagus pesto pasta today I had this discussion with my friends and the were like veggie are yours! Hah no meat no eat they said and also with growing my own I feel more adventurous in what I'm cooking now!

[Bigmallly]

Do egg & chip butties count as being veggie.........if so, count me in........

[PyreneesPlot]

If I could grow my own meat, know how it lived and died, I'd eat a lot more.
At the moment its once a week, twice at most.
I was a veggie for a long time, vegan for a while, but don't object to the concept of eating meat just many of the methods by which it gets to the plate. Like many, I expect.

I understand we have evolved to be omnivorous, like many apes. Anyone remember that footage of chimps hunting down, killing and eating monkeys?

[shona_b]

with such a glut of courgettes on the plot this year many of our meals are predominately veggie ! I was properly vegetarian for many years but then introduced fish and then met my partner who is such a huge Sunday roast fan its unbelieveable! I find the use of meat substitutes (like quorn mince) will go so far to as make meals "acceptable" to meateaters and veggies alike - last nights keema (quorn mince) stuffed courgette hit the spot also meant I could use the day's harvest of spuds, green beans and of course courgettes (not forgetting the homegrown onions, chillis and garlic from the store). Also made it spicy for an excuse to make raita to get through another of the bountiful cucumbers! sometimes you just need a little more imagination for vegetarian meals (or draw from other cultures where its the norm).

[Capsid]

Yes as Pyreneesplot says we are omnivores. We have canine teeth of carnivores but also our jaw can move from side to side, a herbivore trait.

[Plot10]

I remember seeing a programme a while ago - I think it was presented by Alice Roberts, that said the real revolution was fire as cooking makes it easier to digest meat protein which in turn caused humans to evolve bigger brains.

It could be argued that we are more "designed" to eat meat than we are grains and other arable foods as agriculture came later than hunting and gathering and there is a theory that this is why so many people have IBS, gluten intolerence etc as we have only been eating grains for the last 10,000 or so years and haven't adapted yet.

It's likely that even before the invention of hunting tools humans weren't averse to eating a bit of carrion if they came across it, like gorillas and chimpanzees (and, oddly, Pandas) do today.

I personally, eat a bit of everything.