One of the most popular statements (among a few other common repeats) I encounter from meat eaters as a vegan and animal advocate is "In the wild animals kill and eat other animals to survive so what is the difference if we do the same thing?"
A popular second to this is "It's cool that you don't eat meat but I'm a carnivore."
My response to these statements is this. First of all we are not living in the wild and can easily live, in-fact we thrive on a plant based diet without killing animals for food. There is a HUGE difference between carnivorous animals eating other animals and humans eating animals. I think the most important differences to consider are the differences between carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. I am going to describe these differences without getting into the nutritional aspect of the issue or discussing the health issues associated humans eating animals and/or their secretions.
Animals that kill for food (carnivores) are behaving naturally. They could not survive otherwise. That is not the case with humans. Carnivorous animals hunt without weapons, they have claws and sharp front teeth capable of subduing prey. They eat the animals they kill raw. Humans have the same characteristics as herbivores, as they have no claws or sharp front teeth capable of subduing prey, they have flat molars for chewing. If humans were meant to eat meat, then they would eat all of their meat raw and bloody.
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| The Carnivorous Tiger |
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| The Carnivorous Lion |
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| The Herbivorous Zebra |
Another big difference is food digestion and the shape and size of the intestines. Carnivorous animals have intestinal tracts that are 3-6x their body length, while herbivores have intestinal tracts usually 10-12x their body length. Human beings have the same intestinal tract ratio as herbivores, at about 10x the length of the human body.
A carnivore has bowels that are smooth, shaped like a pipe, so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly. Herbivore bowels are bumpy and pouch-like, so plant foods pass through slowly for optimal nutrient absorption. Human bowels have the same characteristics as those of herbivores.
A carnivore doesn't require fiber to help move food through their short and smooth digestive tracts. Herbivores require dietary fiber to move food through their long and bumpy digestive tracts, to prevent the bowels from becoming clogged with rotting food. Humans have the same requirement as herbivores.
Cholesterol is not a problem for a carnivores digestive system. A carnivore such as a cat can handle a high-cholesterol diet without negative health consequences. A human cannot. Humans have zero dietary need for cholesterol because our bodies manufacture all we need. Cholesterol is only found in animal foods, never in plant foods. A plant-based diet is by definition cholesterol-free.
The saliva of a carnivore is acidic. The saliva of a herbivore is alkaline, which helps pre-digest plant foods. Human saliva is alkaline.
A carnivores stomach is 20x more acidic than the stomach of a herbivore. The human stomach acidity matches that of herbivores.
It is important to note that omnivores are more similar to carnivores than they are to herbivores.
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| The Omnivorous Raccoon |
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| The Omnivorous Bear |
The differences between a carnivore, herbivore and omnivore compared to a human.
Feature - Facial Muscles
Carnivore-Reduced to allow wide mouth gape
Herbivore-Well-developed
Omnivore-Reduced
Human-Well-developed
Feature - Jaw Type
Carnivore-Angle not expanded
Herbivore-Expanded angle
Omnivore-Angle not expanded
Human-Expanded angle
Feature - Jaw Joint Location
Carnivore-On same plane as molar teeth
Herbivore-Above the plane of the molars
Omnivore-On same plane as molar teeth
Human-Above the plane of the molars
Feature - Jaw Motion
Carnivore-Shearing; minimal side-to-side motion
Herbivore-No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back
Omnivore-Shearing; minimal side-to-side
Human-No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back
Feature - Major Jaw Muscles
Carnivore-Temporalis
Herbivore-Masseter and pterygoids
Omnivore-Temporalis
Human-Masseter and pterygoids
Feature - Mouth Opening vs. Head Size
Carnivore-Large
Herbivore-Small
Omnivore-Large
Human-Small
Feature - Teeth: Incisors
Carnivore-Short and pointed
Herbivore-Broad, flattened and spade shaped
Omnivore-Short and pointed
Human-Broad, flattened and spade shaped
Feature - Teeth: Canines
Carnivore-Long, sharp and curved
Herbivore-Dull and short or long (for defense), or none
Omnivore-Long, sharp and curved
Human-Short and blunted
Feature - Teeth: Molars
Carnivore-Sharp, jagged and blade shaped
Herbivore-Flattened with cusps vs complex surface
Omnivore-Sharp blades and/or flattened
Human-Flattened with nodular cusps
Feature - Chewing
Carnivore-None; swallows food whole
Herbivore-Extensive chewing necessary
Omnivore-Swallows food whole and/or simple crushing
Human-Extensive chewing necessary
Feature - Saliva
Carnivore-No digestive enzymes
Herbivore-Carbohydrate digesting enzymes
Omnivore-No digestive enzymes
Human-Carbohydrate digesting enzymes
Feature - Stomach Type
Carnivore-Simple
Herbivore-Simple or multiple chambers
Omnivore-Simple
Human-Simple
Feature - Stomach Acidity
Carnivore-Less than or equal to pH 1 with food in stomach
Herbivore-pH 4 to 5 with food in stomach
Omnivore-Less than or equal to pH 1 with food in stomach
Human-pH 4 to 5 with food in stomach
Feature - Stomach Capacity
Carnivore-60% to 70% of total volume of digestive tract
Herbivore-Less than 30% of total volume of digestive tract
Omnivore-60% to 70% of total volume of digestive tract
Human-21% to 27% of total volume of digestive tract
Feature - Length of Small Intestine
Carnivore-3 to 6 times body length
Herbivore-10 to more than 12 times body length
Omnivore-4 to 6 times body length
Human-10 to 11 times body length
Feature - Colon
Carnivore-Simple, short and smooth, no fermentation
Herbivore-Long, complex; may be sacculated, may ferment
Omnivore-Simple, short and smooth, no fermentation
Human-Long, sacculated, may ferment
Feature - Liver
Carnivore-Can detoxify vitamin A
Herbivore-Cannot detoxify vitamin A
Omnivore-Can detoxify vitamin A
Human-Cannot detoxify vitamin A
Feature - Kidney
Carnivore-Extremely concentrated urine
Herbivore-Moderately concentrated urine
Omnivore-Extremely concentrated urine
Human-Moderately concentrated urine
Feature - Nails
Carnivore-Sharp claws
Herbivore-Flattened nails or blunt hooves
Omnivore-Sharp claws
Human-Flattened nails
Feature - Thermostasis
Carnivore-Hyperventilation
Herbivore-Perspiration
Omnivore-Hyperventilation
Human-Perspiration
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"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 new car." -Harvey Diamond
"Though there are more herbivorous animals in the world than carnivores, they’re never used as the example of what is “natural.” We don't point to our molars and say “Look! Just like the herbivores of the world!” We align ourselves with the carnivorous lion rather than the vegetarian elephant, justifying behavior we aren’t compelled to by nature but driven towards because of habit, tradition, convenience, or pleasure." -Colleen Patrick Goudreau
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| The Herbivorous Elephant |
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