I. Vegetarianism
Many people believe that in order to have enough strength for manual labor, they need to eat meat and fish for nutrition. This is a misconception, as many monks in the Sahara Desert region never consume meat or fish, yet they are able to perform heavy tasks such as digging ditches and cutting down trees. They are not only as healthy as everyone else, but they also live longer. The Japanese also consider meat to be a food that should be consumed sparingly. The following famous people in France were all vegetarians (*1): Voltaire, Diderot, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Pascal.
In Belgium, France, and England, there are currently “Vegetarian Societies” that have been established and are supported by many famous scientists.
Mr. Flourens, Mr. Daubenton, Mr. Cuvier, and Mr. Buffon all agree that the human body is not adapted to eating meat. They argue that humans should eat a diet consisting entirely of grass, vegetables, and fruits, which is in accordance with nature.
I would like to translate here the essay on the theory of the famous physician G. Durville.
HUMANS ARE NOT BORN TO EAT MEAT
“Humans today are accustomed to eating meat because of the long and arduous process of forming this habit in the past. However, this has come at a great cost of pain and suffering.
Originally, humans were not meat-eaters. The human body and organs clearly demonstrate this and make us realize that the food that is most compatible with our stomach is grass, vegetables, and fruits.
A. Human teeth are not for eating meat:
The carnivore faction argues that humans need to eat meat because they have “canine teeth”, and dogs are carnivores.
This is a misconception. The teeth of carnivores, including dogs, are long, which is for tearing meat. However, our “canine teeth” are short, similar to those of monkeys, which are fruit-eaters.
B. The human stomach and intestines are not for eating meat:
The molars of carnivores are sharp, so they cannot chew meat thoroughly. However, their thick and strong stomachs help to break down meat for easy digestion. Our stomachs are thin and weak, because we do not need to work hard to break down food. Our molars are flat and strong enough to chew food into small pieces before swallowing, and our molars are similar to those of herbivores.
The intestines of carnivores are short, and meat is digested quickly. Our intestines are several meters longer, which is sufficient evidence that our intestines are very useful for slowly digesting plants (*2). Physiologists know that plants take longer to digest than meat.
C. The excess meat that is not needed by the body can be converted into ammonia by carnivores and excreted through the urine. The human body cannot do this. Therefore, the Creator did not intend for humans to eat foods that are high in meat content.
*(1) The term “thảo mộc” here refers to all types of plants that grow from the ground, such as trees, fruits, potatoes, tubers, vegetables, beans, and so on.
*(2) It is important to note that digestion does not end in the stomach. Food must also pass through the intestines to be fully digested.