Vegetarian vs. Non-vegetarian

[Pelly8910]

Why is it healthier to eat quorn or something like that rather than real meat?

[starone]

Exactly - we have evolved.

[joko]

but only in so far as we cop with it...and are able to invent tools and ways to catch an kill animals...not physically

[Zeuhl]

Some primates e.g. chimpanzee eat meat don't they?

They catch monkeys and eat them. Are there similarities between our teeth/digestion and chimps?
.

[joko]

to answer the question by the way, quorn simply is low fat and has no chemicals or disease etc, i suppose

[bushbaby_de]

it contains less saturated fat that meat and therefore will contribute to lower cholesterol levels

[wildwood]

The so called 'real meat' you refer to is not what we are designed to eat as it is laced with fat and maybe chemicals. Wild animals rarely have an excess of fat.

Sometimes you'll read that some other animal has been 'domesticated' as its meat is lean and healthy.
Ostrich meat, for instance, is still lean but a few more generations of artificial feeding and overstocking will promote changes in the texture of the meat as the farmer will want a maximum meat to bodyweight ration, just like our present meat animals.

I know a few vegies and none eat exclusively natural, they admit to additional vitamin/mineral supplements.

[R1Geezer]

we are omnivores joko, i don't think any scientists doubt that, even the veggie ones. You are quite simply talking rubbish as chuck points out. we have canines, molars and incisors. We are not designed to kill like lions because we have other ways of bringing down prey based on intelligence.We then have the teeth to tear and cut raw meat if necessary. I can only assume you are trying to justify your vegetarianism to yourself.

[jomifl]

Joko ..you have no evidence for your claims that humans are natural herbivores, All the evidence points to what Chuck says. It is not possible to have a vegeterian diet that contains all the necessary amino acids for healthy growth without careful manipulation of the ratios of cereals and pulses. Human teeth are intermediate between herbivores grinding teeth and carnivores cutting(carnassial) teeth. This is reflected in the human digestive system which as Chuck pointed out is also intermediate between herbivores and carnivores.

[jomifl]

Why do you think it is healthier to eat Quorn than meat? There is no point looking for an explanation for a non-existant (probably) phenomenom. Could this be a trap in your homework?

[joko]

i did not say we were herbivores...

i said we are not really PHYSICALLY designed to be successful carnivores... and we began eating meat simply because we taught ourselves to catch it...we are omnivores by choice...and have adapted to suit that...but we have none of the usual physical characteristics of a carnivore.
canine just means the name type of teeth...all mammals have the same 3 sets, but they look different depending on their diet...ours would be useless in bringing down an antelope etc...as would our fingernails, jaw, camoflage, speed and agility etc etc

without tools and brains, we would be herbivores...and scavengers...

justifying my vegertarianism to myself? yeah right...what exactly would i need to justify? what a silly comment

[R1Geezer]

horses and cows do not have canine's they have large flat molars for grinding, they can digest cellulose.

[joko]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_teeth

[joko]

http://en.wikipedia.o...tle_age_determination

[joko]

all mammals have the same 3 sets of teeth...the point is they adapt to suit the diet...horses, sheep and cows go flatter etc to suit theirs...dogs, cats etc grow fangs etc to suit theirs...ours are not the teeth of the average meat eater...

nor are our jaws

[NazNomad]

We've been eating Quorn since the '80's, we've been eating meat since 2 Bazillion BC ... I rest my case.

[ummmm]

That was what I was going to say.

Joko - you're talking like we've only converted to meat over the last 1000 years or so..

[joko]

no i am not ummm, i didnt say anything of the sort.

no-one seems to be listening to what i am actually saying..rather just being anti vegetarian regardless.

ok could some explain to me in detail, how you would hunt and kill, say a bison - but with only your own body...no tools, no weapons, no rocks, sticks, rope, net, cloth, no tricks, no help...nothing...just you...?

lets just assume that you actually managed to successfully chase and catch it and werent too utterly worn out and scratched and bruised and not trampled to death trying to get it on the floor, to actually then kill it - how would you kill it with your bare hands?
then if you managed that, how would you break through the hide? the bones? with what? your fingernails?? how would you claw the meat out?

even if you managed to get a bit in your mouth, good luck with chewing that...its hard enough with a steak dinner at times...

you could just about survive like that, but its hardly ideal is it...?

[NazNomad]

I'd probably start with something 'reasonable', like a rabbit, and work my way up to a bison as my skills progressed.

[ummmm]

I said 'you're talking like'

Your scenario is unrealistic. We always had brains...so we made weapons.

How many years ago Naz?

[NazNomad]

2 Bazillion BC, so that's 2 Bazilion, 2 Thousand and Eleven in new money.