[Vision2020] Physiological Reasons Humans Are Not Primarily Meat Eaters

[Tbertruss at aol.com]

Roger et. al.

I challenge you to provide one nutrient, based on scientific research, that 
is critical to human health that cannot be obtained from non-animal sources. 
Even B-12, which still is asserted to be one of those nutrients than cannot be 
found in non-animal sources, is found in significant quantities in spirulina, 
tempeh, and brewers yeast.  Even the health oriented guru doctor Andrew Weil 
made the mistake of stating publicly that B-12 must be obtained from animal 
foods.

The arguments presented on V2020 that eating meat is critical to human health 
are false!

Evolutionary arguments that eating meat from hunting was a critical factor in 
the development of human intelligence are without any proven substantive 
basis.  We really do not know what exact factors led to the development of human 
intelligence with certainly.  Of course there are many theories that make 
sense, but if being a great hunter of meat was the deciding factor in developing 
intelligence, T. Rex or other dominant predators of evolution, might have 
evolved into geniuses of unparalleled dimensions, so the "predator" on this list 
might reconsider his grand position in the food chain based on eating meat.  He's 
no match for T. Rex, unless he has modern weapons, which our evolutionary 
ancestors did not have.

It is possible human intelligence developed first before we became more 
oriented toward hunting animals for food!  Our intelligence might have allowed us 
the luxury of becoming better hunters of animals, and thus less dependent on 
plant sources.

Some think the unusually long period of human development, out to 20 years 
for full growth, which is not found in any other animal on earth, led to special 
social skills of communication and cooperation, needed for the sexual bonding 
for long periods to assure the survival of offspring, was the main factor in 
the development of human intelligence.  Just another theory.  I suspect there 
are many factors all acting together to explain the evolution of human 
intelligence, and perhaps there was a random factor of lucky mutations involved.

But the facts of our dentation and digestive system indicate that, while we 
are omnivores, and can live on meat and digest it, that our evolutionary 
heritage is heavily weighed toward the eating of plant foods for survival.  Anyone 
can look at the teeth on a dog, a carnivore, and observe that humans do not 
have the same teeth needed to tear meat and kill directly.  What are the molars 
for?  Plant eating.  Dogs do not have molars like human beings.  A major clue 
regarding the diet our evolutionary ancestors predominately ate.

See info at this site:

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html

Ted Moffett
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