PETA makes the news again !

[AVGWarhawk]

I did not get to the top of the food chain to eat lettuce.

[Digital_Trucker]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I did not get to the top of the food chain to eat lettuce.

I used to love cabbage, but I don't think I'll ever be able to eat it again

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I did not get to the top of the food chain to eat lettuce.

One of my favorite sayings, though I use a different wording; "I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat like a rabbit"

[A Very Super Market]

Really, if you take a look at our bodies, we are meant to be omnivorous. I don't understand why they can't explain our canines at all.

[NeonSamurai]

Having canines is not proof positive of omnivorous (or carnivorous) diet, there are several animals that have canines way larger then ours (and larger then several predators) that are purely herbivores (gorillas and Pandas of the top of my head). Our canines also serve no purpose (other then maybe a threat display but even then they are tiny).

We are also not very efficient at digesting meat compared to a carnivore (and several omnivores). What we are really is purpose built scavengers, this also helps explain why many human cultures like their meat "aged". We can also thrive on a purely vegetarian diet which is not a bad thing if meat is scarce or no existent, it may prove to be an essential ability as human numbers outstrip our ability to produce food which we are getting close to (many would say we are already past that point) with out cutting back on meat production and shifting their diet away from human edible food.

[Frame57]

Did you say "human edible food" as in Soylent Green? Yummy I can hear my tummy....

[NeonSamurai]

Originally Posted by Frame57

Did you say "human edible food" as in Soylent Green? Yummy I can hear my tummy....

Heh no I meant grains and other stuff used in animal feed that humans can eat vs grass and hay and the like which we cannot.

Now one diet which humans have difficulty sustaining is the Vegan diet (only plant products, no primary or secondary animal products such as meat or dairy, or honey). It is difficult to manage without vitamin supplements. It takes a lot of effort and planning to stay healthy as a Vegan as you have to mix and match different foods to create the complete proteins, add calcium, iron, and other things which are more easily obtained in meat and dairy.

Personally I think the ideal diet is the traditional Chinese diet (with some dairy) which is mostly vegetables and beans and grains (rice) and a bit of meat and/or fish per day. Research has show so far that this diet is very healthy with low risks of cancer and other diseases associated with high meat intakes (also low in cholesterol and other bad stuff). It also helps limit exposure to all the stuff that is going on in factory farms with the hormonal, anti bacterial and other drugs which the animals are fed and injected with to increase weight gain and keep them alive in such unsanitary and horrid conditions long enough to slaughter (factory farms are another topic though). The other advantage is the Chinese diet is more sustainable.

[GoldenRivet]

Im a member of PETA

"People Eating Tasty Animals"

[UnderseaLcpl]

Those are excellent and thought-provoking points, Neon. I never really thought much about the human diet.

[rubenandthejets]

Mmmmmm. "Long pig", anyone?

Reports from Papua New Guinea cannibals in WWII showed a preference for Japanese rather than European "long pig".

All that red meat in the average European's diet at the time compared to lots mostly rice and some fish in the average Japanese diet apparently makes a big difference in how your flesh tastes to the discerning cannibal.