When some people look at a cow they see a pet or a friend.
Others look at these bovines
and see nothing but burgers and steaks waiting to happen. The vegan lifestyle has been sweeping
the United States for years now and has been renowned for its ethical and health benefits.
Personally, I have encountered many people who have become vegan and love to bring up this
lifestyle choice at any possible chance. After years of having veggie lovers throw their
metaphorical lettuce in my face, I have become a firm anti-vegan. I have vowed to stand up for
meat eaters all throughout the globe. Over years and years our bodies have adapted and grown to
be omnivores. As an athlete myself, I have done a lot of research on diet and nutrition for
athletes. In doing so I have found research from numerous sports nutritionists and strength
coaches supporting that an Omnivorous lifestyle is the most beneficial type of diet for athletes.
One of the great claims made by vegans is the argument that humans did not evolve to eat
meat. Vegans claim that human stomachs and intestinal tracts were not made for animal proteins.
That however could not be farther from the truth. The vegan knows that the greatest argument is
a counterargument. Some meat eaters argue that because humans bare sharp canine teeth, that we
must be meant to eat animal proteins. While this makes sense, vegans counter by bringing up the
anatomy of gorillas and apes. This because our primate friends have razor sharp fangs yet only
eat plants. To this I must concede that that they have a solid point there. As a rebuttal, however, I
require a cross section of the human digestive system and that of a primate. If you were to look at
the digestive system of a human and a gorilla side by side, the two look similar. However, they
have a couple very distinct differences. After a deeper look at the anatomy, you will see that a
gorilla has a much larger cecum and colon than an omnivore does. As an avid weightlifter, I have
always been intrigued by the fact that gorillas can eat nothing but grass and fruits and have the
muscle mass of two human bodybuilders combined. This is because gorillas evolved to be able to
eat plants and process cellulose into useable proteins for muscle growth and normal bodily
functions. This is a trait that humans unfortunately do not have. If this was the case than we
would have no need to eat meat, much less go to the grocery store. If we had the herbivore
digestive systems that PETA claims, then we would have no need for lawnmowers either! The
reality is however, that humans lack the cellulose digesting organs that an herbivore has. If you
were a dumb kid you may know that eating grass leads to a gruesome stomach ache and an upset
parent or two. So, because humans can’t digest grass, does this mean that humans aren’t
supposed to eat plants? Or could it be that our bodies are meant to eat specific plants and animals
that our digestive system is suited for?
As an athlete, it is a well-known fact that protein is the king of the macronutrients.
Protein helps not only to build muscle, but to repair damage caused during exercise. Because
humans do not have the guts of gorillas, we must look for protein from other sources more suited
for us. These protein sources are not all animal based. Beans, milk, and nuts can be great sources
of protein! However, the density of protein in animal products is exponentially more than other
protein sources. For an athlete trying to build maximum muscle and recover, it makes sense to
consume foods with the richest protein content. I am by no means saying that one cannot achieve
a great physique and athletic results on a plant based diet. I will say however that it is much more
inconvenient. For example, in 200 calories of black beans there is roughly 12 grams of protein.
Chicken however has about 38 per 200 calorie serving. To put it into perspective you would need
to eat 3 times as many calories from beans to equal one equal calorie serving of chicken.
P1: Debunking the “humans didn’t evolve to eat meat” argument
P2: Omnivorous muscle building
P3: Omnivorous diet and longevity
P4: Being an omnivore doesn’t mean you HAVE to eat everything. (eat like shit)
Peta: “Humans have short, soft fingernails and small, dull canine teeth. All true carnivores have
sharp claws and large canine teeth that are capable of tearing flesh without the help of knives and
forks.”
