I'm a vegetarian, but as far as I can tell the human body is designed to be omnivorous, though mainly vegetarian.

For example we do have some canine teeth, though we're not specialised for eating meat exclusively like a dog.

We also need to be careful about using words like "designed". By the same token as we're "designed" to be omnivorous, adult human males are "designed" to have beards, and human females are "designed" to get pregnant from about age twelve or thirteen.

So biology doesn't always have to dictate how you choose to live your life, or make one choice better than another.
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This article is pretty compelling, but I am sure there are good counter-arguments, as it seems relatively cherry-picked.

http://blog.atmajyoti.org/2008/04/humans-are-we-carnivores-or-vegetarians-by-nature/

It says that we have, biologically, much more in common with herbivores than carnivores, including:

* no claws
* perspire through skin pores
* no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
* have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
* have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
* well-developed salivary glands, which are necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits
* have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
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No, I don't think we're designed to be vegetarian; however, I don't think we're designed to be strictly carnivorous, either.

Humans have stomach acids not found in herbivores; our stomachs and intestines are different. We're not terribly good at making some conversions necessary for long-term health as vegans unless we're in perfect health to start with.

A team of scientific researchers went around the world several decades ago, comparing the diets of people eating their traditional diet with groups within the same people groups eating a modernized diet of processed foods. Because some of these people groups were vegetarian or vegan, that means that the researchers also collected data from all over the world about this topic.

The researchers collected data on traditional foods and the actual diets of the people and collected all kinds of data, from things like average age of first menstruation/child birth to child mortality rates; which if any illnesses a person had had; dental health; heart health indicators; diabetes, cancer, and more.

The result is a book called Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Dr. Weston A. Price. He's now dead, but his foundation continues to collect data and build on what he started. On the foundation's website there is a Tour for vegetarians.

On the specific question, an article in the Tour says this:

"Some vegetarian groups claim that since humans possess grinding teeth like herbivorous animals and longer intestines than carnivorous animals, this proves the human body is better suited for vegetarianism (122). This argument fails to note several human physiological features which clearly indicate a design for animal product consumption.

First and foremost is our stomach's production of hydrochloric acid, something not found in herbivores. HCL activates protein-splitting enzymes. Further, the human pancreas manufactures a full range of digestive enzymes to handle a wide variety of foods, both animal and vegetable. Further, Dr. Walter Voegtlin's in-depth comparison of the human digestive system with that of the dog, a carnivore, and a sheep, a herbivore, clearly shows that we are closer in anatomy to the carnivorous dog than the herbivorous sheep. (123)

While humans may have longer intestines than animal carnivores, they are not as long as herbivores; nor do we possess multiple stomachs like many herbivores, nor do we chew cud. Our physiology definitely indicates a mixed feeder, or an omnivore, much the same as our relatives, the mountain gorilla and chimpanzee who all have been observed eating small animals and, in some cases, other primates (124)."

Much more info is available at the website and in the book.
Source(s):
http://www.westonaprice.org/tour/vegtourindex.html

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I've been a vegetarian now for 18 years. I realize that humans cannot be born as vegetarians, as I started when I was teenager. I do not believe we were meant to be vegetarians, but nowadays with technology and the way they can process food, and make more foods for vegetarians, our bodies can become accustomed to it.

We grow to be vegetarians. I do not believe the human body was meant to be a vegan, yet then again there are certain foods for vegans that have protein.
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Were designed to eat whatever is available. Our teeth most certainly are designed to eat meat. We have tearing teeth not just grinding ones. But if you look further our intestine are even designed half and half. Animals that eat lots of meat tend to have smaller lengths and those that tend to process high fiber items like vegetables tend to have longer ones.(This is of course vs size and weight.) We have one somewhere in middle.

The only thing we lack is a highly acidic stomach capable of eating rancid foods. Then we would truly be able to eat anything.

Good Luck with your answers. Should be an interesting fight.
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Not really.

E.g. When Eskimos only ate raw fat and raw meat before they adopted our cooked diet, because there were live enzymes within the foods they ate, they lived a long and healthy life.

But evolution is still happening everywhere and with humans too. So man has evolved from eating raw vegetables and raw meat.

Note: You can eat pork now. But don't serve that pork chop with a side of raw alfalfa sprouts. You might have missed the FDA's warning on Sunday to avoid raw alfalfa sprouts and any salads or other dishes containing them because they may be contaminated with salmonella.
Source(s):
http://www.gethealthyagain.com/enzymes.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2009/04/lets_take_a_break_from.htm...

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