Humans Evolved to Eat Meat

Argument #8 of 13

The Argument

Human beings evolved as omnivores over millions of years. Our digestive systems, our teeth, our ability to digest both plants and animals—all of this is the result of evolutionary adaptation to a diet that included meat. The development of our large brains is directly linked to the consumption of calorie-dense, protein-rich meat. Our ancestors who hunted and ate animals outcompeted those who didn't.

We have canine teeth designed for tearing meat. We produce stomach acid strong enough to digest animal protein and kill pathogens in raw meat. We can't synthesize B12, a nutrient found almost exclusively in animal products, which suggests we're meant to get it from our diet. Our entire biology screams "omnivore."

Every culture in human history has eaten animals. It's universal across geography, climate, and time. The idea that we should suddenly abandon millions of years of evolutionary adaptation and thousands of years of human culture because modern, wealthy Westerners decided it's unethical is both arrogant and biologically naive. We are predators. That's not a moral failing—it's nature. Lions eat gazelles. Hawks eat rabbits. Humans eat animals. This is how the natural world works, and pretending we can transcend our nature through moral reasoning doesn't change our biology.

If eating meat were truly unethical, evolution wouldn't have designed us to do it so well. The fact that we thrive on an omnivorous diet is evidence that this is what we're meant to eat. Fighting against our nature requires constant supplementation, careful meal planning, and monitoring of nutritional deficiencies—hardly evidence of an optimal human diet.

The Response

[Response to be added]