The human body is physically designed as an herbivore.

Why our diet cant determine we are omnivores- A point that must be stated is that by simply eating meat or animal product does not physically make an organism an omnivore. Observation of behavior in various species cannot determine the physical ability and need of the body. For example, it has been observed that cats will eat grass if they are sick or need aid in digestion. This does not make the common housecat an omnivore. It simply determines the natural bodily function in needing absent nutrients is to consume the most abundant resource available. The physical design of the cat is carnivorous. There fore the observation of our diet consisting of meat does not support the physical design being able to easily and naturally digest animal product. What makes an omnivore- It is common for coyotes to raid farms and consume watermelon and other non meat foods. They also eat berries and scavenge for food as needed. Coyotes can be considered omnivores, yes. But with a comparison between omnivores such as the coyote, bears, and raccoons towards a human, the differences are large. The focus will be on the bear because it is a very commonly known omnivore. Bears are classified as carnivores but are classic omnivores, physically and internally. Although they eat some animal foods, bears are primarily herbivorous with 70-80% of their diet comprised of plant foods. Bears cannot digest fibrous vegetation well, and therefore, are highly selective feeders. Their diet is dominated by primarily succulent lent herbage, tubers and berries. In general, bears exhibit anatomical features consistent with a carnivorous diet. The jaw joint of bears is in the same plane as the molar teeth. The temporalis muscle is massive, and the angle of the mouth is small corresponding to the limited role the muscles play in operating the jaw. The small intestine is short (less than five times body length) like that of the pure carnivores, and the colon is simple, smooth and short. The most prominent adaptation to an herbivorous diet in bears (and other "anatomical" omnivores) is the modification of their dentition. Bears retain the peg-like incisors, large canines and shearing premolars of a carnivore; but the molars have become squared with rounded cusps for crushing and grinding. Bears have not, however, adopted the flattened, blunt nails seen in most herbivores and retain the elongated, pointed claws of a carnivore. In conclusion, the average omnivore is most closely related to a carnivore physically. Where do humans stand? - The human gastrointestinal tract features the anatomical features consistent with an herbivorous diet. Humans have muscular lips and a small opening as a mouth. Many of the so-called "muscles of expression" are actually the muscles used in chewing. The jaw is flattened by a cartilaginous plate and is located well above the plane of the teeth. The characteristic "square jaw" of adult males reflects the expanded angular process of the mandible and the enlarged muscle group. The human jaw can move forward to engage the incisors, and side-to-side to crush and grind. Human teeth are also similar to those found in other herbivores with the exception of the canines (the canines of some of the apes are elongated and are thought to be used for display and/or defense). Our teeth are rather large and usually abut against one another. The incisors are flat and spade-like, useful for peeling, snipping and biting relatively soft materials. The canines are not serrated, but are flattened, blunt and small. The premolars and molars are squarish, flattened and used for crushing, grinding and pulping non coarse foods. The esophagus is narrow and suited to small, soft balls of thoroughly chewed food. Eating quickly, attempting to swallow a large amount of food or swallowing poorly chewed food (meat is the most frequent culprit) often results in choking in humans. Man's stomach is single-chambered, but only moderately acidic. The human small intestine is long, averaging from 10 to 11 times the body length The human colon demonstrates the pouched structure peculiar to herbivores. Humankind does not show the mixed physical features one expects and finds in omnivores such as bears and raccoons. Thus, from comparing h unmans to omnivores we must conclude that humankind is designed for a purely plant-food diet. http://www.vegsource.com...