eli5: if vegetables are so important for our diet, how come carnivores doing fine without them?
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Different organisms have different dietary needs. So when we say “vegetables are important for *our* diet” we are specifically talking about the dietary needs of human beings, who aren’t carnivores.
Simply put, carnivores have evolved to eat meat only. Their entire digestive system is adapted to gorging on lots of meat and slowly digesting it over a long period of time, extracting all of the nutrients while neutralizing putrefaction.
Humans aren’t. Our system is adapted to handle moderate amounts of both meat and plant matter, and while we can survive on both solely, if we carefully choose our food sources, it is not the most efficient use of our biological systems.
Different animals have different dietary needs. Their bodies evolved to work differently and process foods differently.
A fish doesn’t eat the same things that a human does. A rhino doesn’t eat the same things that a human does. And that’s okay. We’re different species with different needs.
Humans need the fiber from vegetables to regulate our digestive system, as well as the vitamins and minerals we get from them as well to supplement our bodies processes.
Other animals found different ways to survive.
Evolutionary speaking meat wasn’t a huge part of our diets. Our bodies developed to need certain things to help regulate our bodies. Our gut track isn’t super long like herbivores or short like Carnivores. As herbivores we need a bit of both to get everything we need
if meat, eggs & dairy are so important to our diet, how come vegans are doing fine without them?
We are omnivores. Carnivores are carnivores. And there plant eaters, rock eaters, chemical eaters, etcetcetc.
As omnivores, we need meat and veg
Meat eating animals often eat plant eating animals in their entirety, so they get those nutritional benefits indirectly.
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