Unveiling the Vegan Truth: Humans as Herbivores

Meat eaters frequently make absurd arguments to vegans and vegan activists, asking why they eat plants when they also have life.

Unfortunately, when faced with such inquiries, vegans and vegan activists often provide justifications that focus on plants lacking a central nervous system or experiencing pain differently from sentient beings. However, these defensive explanations can be easily challenged and refuted through intelligent debate.

The simple and clear response to the question of why it is acceptable for humans to consume plant-based foods lies in the fact that humans are inherently herbivorous creatures, and this is the natural order of things.

Introduction

In a world where veganism is often met with skepticism and misconceptions, it’s time to explore the inherent herbivorous nature of humans. In this brief presentation, my goal is to illuminate the reasons why adopting a plant-based lifestyle is not only a compassionate choice for the sake of animals but, more importantly, a vital step towards enhancing our own well-being. Through debunking prevalent arguments and exploring the associated health benefits, I aim to shed light on the significance of embracing a plant-based way of life.

Humans as Herbivores: Debunking Misconceptions

As I said earlier, one of the most common arguments against veganism is the notion that if plants and vegetables are considered living beings, then why should vegans, who claim to not hurt animals, eat them? While this argument may seem valid at first glance, a closer examination reveals the fundamental misunderstanding that humans, by nature, are herbivorous beings.

Upon examining the physical attributes of humans, we can identify resemblances to those found in other herbivorous animals. Notably, herbivores commonly possess ridged molars and flexible jaws that facilitate the efficient grinding of plant-based foods. Unlike carnivorous animals, humans generally have less prominent canines, and even when they are present, they are small and not crucial for food mastication.

Moreover, the length of our intestines serves as evidence supporting our herbivorous nature. Herbivorous animals typically possess longer intestines when compared to their carnivorous counterparts. This distinction arises from the requirement for a more extended digestive process and optimal nutrient extraction from plant-based diets.

The Natural State of Food Consumption

A simple method of discerning food suitable for human consumption is to consider whether a food item can be eaten in its natural form without the need for cooking, spicing, or other alterations. As you know, vegetables and fruits, for example, can be plucked directly from their respective plants or trees and consumed as intended by nature. On the other hand, consuming meat necessitates the killing of an innocent creature. It requires the skinning, washing, and cooking of the animal using various methods and spices to make it palatable.

Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

Contrary to popular belief, a vegan diet can provide all the necessary nutrients for a healthy and thriving body. In fact, doctors often recommend a plant-based diet for various health conditions, let alone severe ones such as cancer. Research suggests that adopting a plant-based lifestyle can improve overall well-being, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, reverse ageing, and help overcome most health conditions.

Veterinary medications, such as antibiotics, growth hormones, and antiparasitic drugs, are employed in livestock animals for disease management and growth promotion.
Consuming the meat and other products of such animals may have adverse effects on the humans who consume them. By choosing a plant-based lifestyle, individuals can steer clear of these potential health hazards.

Embracing a Compassionate and Wholesome Life

The concept of “carnism,” popularised by Dr Melanie Joy in her book “Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows,” I sincerely recommend the book, sheds light on the prevailing ideology that supports the use and consumption of animal products. However, it is essential to question and challenge these societal norms. People often say, “Our parents and forefathers did it, and so we too will do it.” Well, haven’t such people heard the term ‘evolution’?

By adopting a vegan lifestyle, we not only practise kindness towards fellow inhabitants of the planet that belong to other species, but also prioritise our own health and well-being. It’s time to reclaim our herbivorous heritage and recognise the power of a plant-based diet in fostering a healthy, happy life.

In conclusion, embracing veganism goes beyond the realm of dietary choices. It represents a compassionate and mindful approach towards animals, the whole of nature, and our own health. By understanding our herbivorous nature, debunking misconceptions, and appreciating the multiple benefits of following a plant-based diet, we can pave the way for a better future, the one that our future generations deserve.

I’d like to end this presentation with some wise words of the Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, Plutarch, who lived about two millennia ago.

“A human body in no way resembles those that were born for ravenousness; it has no hawk’s bill, no sharp talon, no roughness of teeth, no such strength of stomach or heat of digestion, as can be sufficient to convert or alter such heavy and fleshy fare.

But if you will contend that you were born with an inclination to such food as you now have a mind to eat, kill the animal yourself without the help of a chopping knife, mallet, or axe, as wolves, bears, and lions do, who kill and eat at once. Rend an ox with your teeth, worry a hog with your mouth, tear a lamb or a hare in pieces, and fall on and eat it alive as they do.

But if you would rather stay until what you eat is to become dead, and if you are loath to force a soul out of its body, why then, do you, against nature, eat an animate thing?

There is nobody that is willing to eat even a lifeless and dead thing even as it is; so they boil it, roast it, and alter it by fire and medicines, as it were, changing and quenching the slaughtered gore with thousands of sweet sauces, that the palate, being thereby deceived, may admit of such uncouth fare.”
― Plutarch

Love animals and protect them. The fact is that they are more useful to the ecosystem than we humans.

Love and respect Mother Nature.

Stay blessed.

Jai Shri Krishna.

It is truly heartening to see young people realise the benefits of plant-based foods and the increase in the number of vegan restaurants in various countries and cities.