EATING MEAT IS NATURAL

Animal rights activists often make the claim that humans do not
"require animal protein to meet our nutritional needs". While this is
true, it is not a dietary choice recommended by North American health
authorities.

According to the USDA 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (the
Canada Food Guide was not at hand), the recommended diet is one "with
most of the calories from grain products, vegetables, fruits, lowfat
milk products, lean meats, fish, poultry, and dry beans [and] fewer
calories from fats and sweets."

As for vegetarian diets, the Guidelines state: "Most vegetarians eat
milk products and eggs, and as a group, these lacto-ovo-vegetarians
enjoy excellent health... You can get enough protein from a vegetarian
diet as long as the variety and amounts of foods consumed are
adequate. Meat, fish, and poultry are major contributors of iron,
zinc, and B vitamins in most American diets, and vegetarians should
pay special attention to these nutrients."

As for vegan diets, the Guidelines, in part, state: "Vegans eat only
food of plant origin. Because animal products are the only food
sources of vitamin B12, vegans must supplement their diets with a
source of this vitamin."

While lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets rely on animal by-products to be
complete, vegan diets rely on artificial dietary supplements and are
by definition incomplete and unnatural.

Anthropologists and human paleontologists have found that modern Homo
sapiens, despite our advanced technology and civilization, are not
significantly different either physiologically or psychologically from
our Paleolithic ancestors. In their groundbreaking 1988 book "The
Paleolithic Prescription: A Program of Diet & Exercise and a Design
for Living", MDs Eaton and Konner and researcher Shostak used the
Paleolithic diet which consisted of a wide variety of vegetables,
fruit, and wild game (which is very lean meat) to recommend a modern
diet similar to the American Dietary Guidelines.

Eaton et al. also claimed that, while adult vegans "can be basically
healthy...  there is some evidence that children raised exclusively on
such diets have slowed growth and development. To propose humans as
basically vegetarian in nature, however, is clearly unjustifed. Meat
is, and has always been, a major constituent of the human diet."

Humans have evolved for the past two million years as omnivorous
hunters/gatherers and have as much right to eat meat as any other
predator on this planet. However, unlike other modern predators, many
of whom often begin eating their prey while it is still alive and
conscious, we treat our prey far more humanely.

Instead of trying to rewrite or deny our evolutionary and dietary
heritage, it would make more sense to adopt an animal welfare approach
that advocates the humane use of our animal food sources rather than
an animal "rights" position which ultimately seeks no use of and no
contact with animals (including pets).

Jim Powlesland
July, 1996

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S. Boyd Eaton, M.D., M. Shostak, and M. Konner, M.D., Ph.D. 1988. "The
Paleolithic Prescription: A Program of Diet & Exercise and a Design
for Living". Harper & Row, New York. ISBN 0-06-015871-9)