
by Milos Pokimica
Are humans omnivores in a true anatomical sense? There is a fundamental difference in the way the digestive tract works in plant vs meat-eating species.
Milos Pokimica
What is a healthy human diet? Are humans omnivores and are we born to consume meat?
Doctors, other experts, and conventional wisdom all agree that animal products are necessary components of a healthy diet and that humans are omnivores. The majority of people believe as well that humans are omnivores. Some argue that humans have always eaten animal products. As a result, they must be natural and healthy.
The majority of us today, or let’s say 99 percent are behavioral (we are not anatomical) omnivores but even this is false. Do you feel tempted to stop and snack on dead animals on the side of the road? Do you fantasize about slaughtering cows with your bare hands and eating them raw? If you answered “no” to these questions, you’re not even a behavioral omnivore. Chimpanzees are more behavioral omnivores even than us. In some cases, chimpanzees will actually kill and eat other monkeys and animals raw.

Despite the fact that many humans eat both plants and meat, earning us the dubious title of “omnivore,” we are anatomically herbivorous.
There are numerous reasons why humans would consume animal products when they are not the best foods for us but this still does not make humans omnivores. For example, as the original people migrated north, they frequently ate animal products to survive because adequate plant products were unavailable. This would make them in the same category as chimpanzees, only behavioral omnivores.
There is also significant cultural pressure to consume animal products. Many people grew up with them. Religions frequently claim that God created animals for humans to use and eat. According to the US Dietary Guidelines, animal products are part of a healthy diet. Food companies frequently publish skewed research claiming that animal products are healthy. Doctors are frequently taught that these foods are healthy.
Until recently, only the wealthy could afford to feed, raise, and slaughter animals for meat, while the rest of the population ate mostly plant foods. As a result, prior to the twentieth century, only the wealthy were routinely afflicted with diseases such as heart disease and obesity. Because animal flesh has become relatively cheap and widely available thanks to the discovery of synthetic fertilizers (it takes 7 calories from starch to make one calorie of meat), deadly diseases such as heart disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and obesity have spread to people from all socioeconomic backgrounds. People in less-developed areas of Asia and Africa have begun to suffer and die from diseases associated with meat-based diets as the Western lifestyle spreads. If we consume animal protein, this does not make humans omnivores automatically.
What people don’t realize is that animal protein can be digested and utilized by all herbivores. Not just humans. Humans, as intelligent, higher life forms, have the ability to change our behavior and diet. However, just because we can survive or enjoy eating animal products does not imply that they are optimal, healthy foods for humans.
Anatomy takes precedence over everything, including beliefs and food preferences. Anatomical characteristics are observable facts. They objectively demonstrate the types of foods that we and other creatures evolved to consume and thus thrive on. By comparing the anatomical features of carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores, the following discussion demonstrates that humans are herbivores[9].
Are humans omnivores in a true anatomical sense? There is a fundamental difference between the way the digestive tract works in plant-eating and meat-eating species. There are no bacteria in the colon of the meat-eating species because this type of meat-eating bacteria is very aggressive and it is not probiotic. Transit time of food through the digestive tract in meat-eaters needs to be short, no more than five to ten hours or the immune system can be overstressed when meat begins to rot in the colon. That will create inflammation and food poisoning. Also stomach acid in meat eaters is much more corrosive and their upper digestive tract is essentially sterile.
The large intestine (colon) of carnivores and omnivores is thus simple and very short since its sole purpose is to absorb salt and water. It has almost an identical width as the small intestine and, consequently, has a limited capacity to function as a reserve. Although a microbial populace is still present in large amounts in the colon of carnivores, its activities are essentially putrefactive.
In herbivorous animals, the large intestine is a highly specialized organ involved in the absorption of water and electrolytes, the production of vitamins, and the fermentation of plant fibers. The colons of herbivores are always more comprehensive than their small intestine and are relatively long and filled with probiotic bacteria. The microbiome of the colon in humans has an essential role in the normal functioning of the body.
Somehow we underrate the importance of the colon and think it is just some waste material organ. In carnivores, it is, in us, it is not. In Homo sapiens and other primates colon is subject to a different array of functions. For example, water and electrolyte absorption and vitamin production and absorption. There is also extensive bacterial fermentation of fiber that results in the different metabolites and short-chain fatty acids production and absorption from the colon that also provides significant amounts of energy and other health benefits. We are not able to utilize the entire energy value of the fiber as grazers can do but we can utilize some of it. The extent to which the fermentation and absorption of metabolites take place in the human colon has only lately started to be studied, and research into the microbiome is a new big thing because of all of the chemicals that these bacteria can secrete and the effect that they have on our bodies. It is not just the vitamins that probiotic bacteria create. Every chemical is one possible drug.
The composition of the microbiome depends on the food we eat. One type ferments fiber and another type putrefy the meat, and not all of them are probiotic.
Think about it this way, if bacteria putrefy the beans for example and we get gases as a result, it does not have a considerable interest in us. We are not her food. Bacteria like the beans only. Bacteria are organisms that are specialized to a great extent. They do not eat everything. One type eats fiber, another type eats meat. It likes you too but in a different way. You are her host, and you give her all that food and a place to live with moisture and warmth so she may help you live longer because she likes you, but in a different way, she does not like your meat.
However, when we have bacteria that putrefy corpses, then we are on the menu too. Meat is meat, and ours is tasty too. Most people do not realize that most of our immune system about 60-70% is actually in our abdomen as a vast system of lymph networks referred to as GALT (gut-associated lymphatic tissue).
Moreover, about 80% of plasma cells mainly immunoglobulin A (IgA)-bearing cells reside in GALT. We have more foreign DNA from bacteria and other symbiotic microorganisms in us than our own. In carnivore animals because of acidity most of the upper GI tract is sterile. When food reaches the colon, there can be no foreign invaders, and most of the already present species of colon microbiota are “nice” ones. When we eat meat the situation is different. The human gastrointestinal tract features anatomical modifications consistent with an herbivorous diet with low acidity and long transit time, so the potential for the growth of aggressive strains of not symbiotic bacteria is real, and if they are present in the food they can colonize the intestinal lining and cause constant presence for our immune system. The reason for the so-called balance between probiotic and non-probiotic bacteria is because of this. We always have a big chunk of our microbiome that is not symbiotic with our bodies. Eating meat feeds a large chunk of this nonsymbiotic bacteria. High animal products and low fiber consumption are not just associated with an increase in transit time and constipation. They are also associated with the rise of the low level of chronic inflammation and the risk of colon cancer.
When we consume meat it will be sitting in our colon for a long time and because we are not adapted to eating meat and animal products in higher amounts that will have negative effects and that is just how it is. Taking probiotic supplements won’t change anything in real numbers because bacteria multiply very rapidly when there is an energy source. If bacteria eat meat and meat stays in our digestive tract for days the end result is inflammation. If we over-consume animal products at regular intervals we would have a bad microbiome in our colon and a chronic rise in inflammation.
One might wonder what happens in the digestive tract of real omnivorous species. Do real anatomical omnivores have a short or long colon and do they ferment fiber? Carnivore abdomen composition is more primitive than herbivorous adaptations with higher acidity to kill off dead meat bacteria. Therefore, one would expect an omnivore to be a carnivore that shows some adaptations of the gastrointestinal tract to an herbivorous diet. This is precisely the situation we found in the raccoons, the bears, and some members of the canine families. Bears, for example, are mainly herbivores with 70-80% of their diet consisting of plant foods. Because bears include significant amounts of meat in their diet, they must maintain the anatomical characteristics that allow them to capture and kill their prey. Therefore, bears have a maxillary structure, musculature, and dentition that allow them to apply the forces necessary to kill and dismember their prey even though most of their diet consists of plant foods. The most important adaptation to an herbivorous diet in bears is the modification of their teeth. The bears kept the incisors, the large canines, and the premolar shearers of a carnivore; but the molars were square with rounded cusps to crush and grind. They still have high acidity and high resistance filter and short colon. They cannot digest the fibrous vegetation and, therefore, are highly selective. Their diet is dominated mainly by aromatic herbs, tubers, and berries. Many scientists believe that the reason why bears hibernate is due to their primary food (succulent vegetation) are not available in the cold winters of the north. The small intestine is short (less than five times the length of the body) like that of pure carnivores, and the colon is simple, soft, and short.
Sources:
Passages selected from a book: “Go Vegan? Review of Science: Part 1” [Milos Pokimica]
- Enterotypes of the human gut microbiome. doi: 10.1038/nature09944
- Intestinal floras of populations that have a high risk of colon cancer Appl Environ Microbiol. 1995 Sep; 61(9): 3202–3207.
- Up-regulating the human intestinal microbiome using whole plant foods, polyphenols, and/or fiber. doi: 10.1021/jf2053959
- Gut Microbiota and Inflammation doi: 10.3390/nu3060637
- Meat-loving microbes: do steak-eating bacteria promote atherosclerosis? doi: 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.113.000213.
- Eggs as a dietary source for gut microbial production of trimethylamine-N-oxide. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.094458
- The health advantage of a vegan diet: exploring the gut microbiota connection. doi: 10.3390/nu6114822.
- Metabolic benefits of dietary prebiotics in human subjects: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. doi: 10.1017/S0007114513003607
- The evolution and changing ecology of the African hominid oral microbiome https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.202165511
Related Posts
- Facebook27
- Twitter2
- Pinterest4
- LinkedIn1
- Reddit1
- Blogger
- Gmail4
- WhatsApp1
- Viber6
- Love This
- Click me for More
- Facebook Messenger
- Skype1
- Email4
- Digg1
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Telegram
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Instapaper
- Copy Link2
- Mix
- 90shares
You Might Also Like
Food Industry- Hunger by design
Diabetes causes and refined carbohydrates- The vegan argument
Vitamin D- More than just your bones
Coca-Cola Company- Historical Review
Fish toxicity- The most toxic meat
Arsenic exposure and meat consumption- The “Poison-Free” Poultry Act
The tale of Big Pharma- Eugenics
Longevity- The rate of living theory
Protein Requirements- Inconvenient truth
Optimal human diet- Chronic diseases, diet wars, and the vegan argument

Medical Disclaimer
GoVeganWay.com brings you reviews of the latest nutrition and health-related research. The information provided represents the personal opinion of the author and is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH GoVeganWay.com
NEVER APPLY ANY LIFESTYLE CHANGES OR ANY CHANGES AT ALL AS A CONSEQUENCE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ IN GoVeganWay.com BEFORE CONSULTING LICENCED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.
In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately. GoVeganWay.com does not recommend or endorse any specific groups, organizations, tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned inside.
Around The Web,
Medicine
Around The Web,
Medicine
-
Cardamom and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
by Alana Stilla (Medical News Bulletin) on January 25, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder affecting one in ten people assigned female at birth who are of childbearing age.1 PCOS is also a condition related to gender identity and gender expression, with a prevalence of PCOS in […]
-
Evolving Plastic Surgery
by Sponsored Article (Medical News Bulletin) on January 24, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place What is Plastic Surgery? Plastic surgery is an increasingly common practice; often for the positive impact, it can have on one’s mental health. For some individuals, plastic surgery has helped address physical concerns or insecurities that […]
-
What 2022 Taught About Stroke Treatment
by Marianne Polvorosa (Medical News Bulletin) on January 23, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place Stroke statistics are scary. Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death, and 2022 has taught us that there is a need for stroke research for better preventive measures, rehabilitation, and stroke treatment options.1,2 Defining stroke […]
-
Joke Of The Day
by Medical News Bulletin (Medical News Bulletin) on January 20, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place Reporter to the doctor: During these pressing times where there are healthcare crises everywhere, you seem so together, so calm. What is your secret? Doctor to the reporter: No secret really. I have a lot of patients. The post Joke Of The […]
-
Benefits of Collagen Hydrolysate Backed by Science
by Sponsored Article (Medical News Bulletin) on January 19, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place Introduction Our bodies contain a lot of collagen, a protein essential for our connective tissues (think cartilage, ligaments, and skin). The most vital components of your body, such as your skin and bones, are given structure by a […]
-
Can Writing Help with Mental Health Improvement?
by Sponsored Article (Medical News Bulletin) on January 19, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place Writing has a healing effect on our mental health. It is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to learn more about yourself, deal with past traumas, and gain valuable insights into your life without even turning to professional help. […]
-
A Superfood to Fight Disease?
by Harmeet Gurm (Medical News Bulletin) on January 18, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place Widely regarded as a superfood, pomegranate is a vibrant red fruit linked to health and wellness. But can pomegranates help fight disease?1,2 The benefits of pomegranates are attributed to their high levels of antioxidants, even beating […]
-
7 Common Health Issues Students Face
by Sponsored Article (Medical News Bulletin) on January 16, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place Young people are vulnerable to a large variety of health issues. Their lifestyles, lack of experience, and gaps in health care and self-awareness can lead to serious consequences. So, let’s see the seven most common health issues all […]
Latest from PubMed,
#plant-based diet
-
Phosphate Intake and Removal in Predominantly Vegetarian Patients on Twice-Weekly Hemodialysis
by Namrata Sarvepalli Rao on January 27, 2023
-
Self-care and lifestyle interventions of complementary and integrative medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic-A cross-sectional study
by Michael Jeitler on January 26, 2023
-
Use of male-to-female sex reversal as a welfare scoring system in the protandrous farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)
by Paul G Holhorea on January 26, 2023
-
The effect of diet quality on the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
by Xiaoxia Gao on January 26, 2023
-
The Climate Change Challenge: How to get research into society through an online workshop
by Laura Müller on January 26, 2023
-
Associations of dietary patterns with obesity and weight change for adults aged 18-65 years: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS)
by Yang Chen on January 25, 2023
-
Two a posteriori dietary patterns are associated with risks of hyperuricemia among adults in less-developed multiethnic regions in Southwest China
by Xinyu Wu on January 25, 2023
-
Buffalo milk and rumen fluid metabolome are significantly affected by green feed
by G Neglia on January 25, 2023
-
Metabolic and nutritional biomarkers in adults consuming lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous diets in Spain. A cross-sectional study
by Elena García-Maldonado on January 23, 2023
-
Protein quality as a complementary functional unit in life cycle assessment (LCA)
by G A McAuliffe on January 23, 2023
-
NEW Soul in the neighborhood-reach and effectiveness of a dissemination and implementation feasibility study
by John A Bernhart on January 23, 2023
-
Interaction between genetics and inulin affects host metabolism in rainbow trout fed a sustainable all plant-based diet
by Jep Lokesh on January 23, 2023
-
Adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet, genetic susceptibility, and risk of type 2 diabetes in Swedish adults
by Shunming Zhang on January 22, 2023
-
Risks and Benefits of Different Dietary Patterns in CKD
by Shivam Joshi on January 22, 2023
-
Plant-based and vegetarian diets: an overview and definition of these dietary patterns
by Shila Minari Hargreaves on January 21, 2023
Latest Articles
Podcast of the day…
Plant Based News
-
‘The Last Of Us’ Star Bella Ramsey Is An Outspoken Advocate For Veganism
el enero 27, 2023
-
‘Put Zebra Meat On The Menu in South Africa,’ Say Scientists
el enero 27, 2023
-
LinkedIn Headquarters Goes Mostly Plant-Based To Reduce Carbon Footprint
el enero 26, 2023
-
‘Pet’ Tiger Killed After Escaping Enclosure And Attacking Man In South Africa
el enero 26, 2023
-
WATCH: Earthling Ed On The Lies, Myths, And Misinformation Of Animal Agriculture
el enero 26, 2023
-
WATCH: Plant-Based Doctor Debunks Misinformation About Women’s Health
el enero 26, 2023
-
How One Welsh Pub Became The ‘World’s First’ Vegan Steakhouse
el enero 26, 2023
Top Health News — ScienceDaily
- Body phenotypes say a lot, but not everything, about a person’s healthon January 25, 2023
Researchers studying body phenotypes — the observable characteristics like height, behavior, appearance and more measurables — found that regardless of the muscle they had, high levels of fat mass in an individual […]
- Supplementation with amino acid serine eases neuropathy in diabetic miceon January 25, 2023
The study adds to growing evidence that some often-underappreciated, ‘non-essential’ amino acids play important roles in the nervous system. The findings may provide a new way to identify people at high risk for […]
- Wearable sensor uses ultrasound to provide cardiac imaging on the goon January 25, 2023
Engineers and physicians have developed a wearable ultrasound device that can assess both the structure and function of the human heart. The portable device, which is roughly the size of a postage stamp, can be worn for […]
- Expert analysis refutes claims that humans are colonized by bacteria before birthon January 25, 2023
Scientific claims that babies harbor live bacteria while still in the womb are inaccurate, and may have impeded research progress, according to new research/
- Scientists discover the evolutionary secret behind different animal life cycleson January 25, 2023
Researchers uncover for the first time the mechanism that likely explains how embryos form either a larva or a miniature version of the adult.
- Risk of developing heart failure much higher in rural areas vs. urbanon January 25, 2023
Adults living in rural areas of the United States have a 19% higher risk of developing heart failure compared to their urban counterparts, and Black men living in rural areas have an especially higher risk — 34%, […]
- Special vascular cells adjust blood flow in brain capillaries based on local energy needson January 25, 2023
Researchers have discovered that a certain type of cell that sits on top of the brain’s smallest blood vessels senses when their brain region needs energy. When glucose levels are low, these cells signal blood vessels […]

PubMed, #vegan-diet
-
Metabolic and nutritional biomarkers in adults consuming lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous diets in Spain. A…
on January 23, 2023
-
NEW Soul in the neighborhood-reach and effectiveness of a dissemination and implementation feasibility study
on January 23, 2023
-
Comparison of sensitivity to taste and astringency stimuli among vegans and omnivores
on January 22, 2023
-
Protective Effect of Vegan Microbiota on Liver Steatosis Is Conveyed by Dietary Fiber: Implications for Fecal…
on January 21, 2023
-
Plant-based and vegetarian diets: an overview and definition of these dietary patterns
on January 21, 2023