Are Humans Omnivores?

Series: The Natural Lifestyle for Humans

Part 1 Our Natural Diet, Section 1.
Picture credit: http://www.synchronicityearth.org/human-nature-thinking-about-culture-values-and-the-environment/

Trigger warning: this post will challenge your beliefs. Please accept the challenge and examine your beliefs without bias.


Human beings are not a species or “kind” of their own. When we compare the anatomy of humans (which I will refer to by our scientific species distinction Homo Sapiens which is Latin for “wise man”), we find that we are classified within the primate species. Our anatomy and physiology match the great ape Hominidae in all regards, including blood types.


Lets compare the anatomy and physiology of Homo Sapiens with other animals to find the natural diet for our species. After that, In subsequent sections we will learn what foods our body can easily digest and our need for proper pH balance. We will then contrast these facts with dangerous foods and the consequences of living an unnatural lifestyle. 

Many people would say that humans are omnivores. We Homo Sapiens are a subspecies of the great ape family. These primates include Bonobos, Chimpanzees, Gorillas, and the Orangutan. When comparing the anatomy and physiology of these primates, you will find remarkable similarities. This section will discuss how Homo Sapiens (as part of the great ape family) does not fit the role of an omnivore.

When you think of great apes, what do you automatically think of as far as food? Most would say bananas, and that is partly correct. The vast majority of food that all great apes eat is fruit. All great apes, including Homo Sapiens, have a similar skeleton that easily allows them to stand up and grab fruit from trees. Structurally there are only a few differences between any of them.

But humans can eat meat, right? First, all land carnivores and omnivores (both eat meat) are quadrupeds, meaning they have four legs, allowing them to run and catch their prey quickly. They have sharp teeth that can rip flesh away from the bone. They have claws to sink into the flesh of their game. They have shorter intestines and produce specific enzymes which allow them to digest animal flesh. Great apes don’t have any of those things. 

Great Apes walk on two legs, which makes them easy prey on land. We have two hands, which we can use to climb and grab fruit from high places. We don’t produce enzymes to break down animal flesh, and if we do eat meat, the time it takes to go through the intestines causes it to putrify, causing foul-smelling feces and flatulence. Our teeth are not all pointy like carnivores and omnivores; they are suitable for biting into fruit but not into another animal. Compare the differences in the chart below.

Picture credit: https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/humans-are-herbivores/

In order for great apes to eat meat, it would require tools, such as spears, arrows, knives, and fire. This is the reason why humans eat meat today. Our ancestors large prefrontal cortex allowed them the brainpower to create tools. When you hear scientists talk about evolution, they are not talking about the rapid change or mutation in species, as the flood story suggests. The scientific explanation of evolution is the survival of the fittest. Having the brainpower to create tools shifted the evolutionary scale making Homo Sapiens the most suited species for survival.

Picture credit: https://www.neprimateconservancy.org/where-primates-live.html

The natural habitats for primates are areas where the climate does not go below freezing. Within this region of the planet, we see fruits in abundance due to the warmer weather (see picture above). Homeo Sapiens left this climate and had less fruit to choose from; thus, tools were necessary to hunt animals for food. However, just because we can consume animal flesh doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

For example, if you feed a carnivore and herbivore only grass, the herbivore would thrive while the carnivore would suffer from poor health. If you were to feed only meat to a chimpanzee, they would eat it, but their health will drastically suffer. We Homo Sapiens are no different; our bodies have a hard time digesting any foods we are not supposed to eat.

Even many plant-based diets include plants our bodies can’t efficiently digest. Their theory is that if it’s not an animal product, it is safe to eat. However, eating foods that our bodies cannot digest taxes our body and makes it more susceptible to disease. Just because it’s a plant doesn’t mean it’s healthy. 

For example, have you ever tried to eat raw uncooked wheat, rice, or potato? We don’t produce the enzymes needed to break these products down, so they are hard to chew and swallow. Apples are easy for us to grab and eat raw. they taste good to us, and we can quickly break them down in our digestive tract. However, just because the apple is safe to eat doesn’t mean we should eat the poisonous seeds. Do you get the point?

These examples are just a few that help us to put the natural human diet together based solely on our primate anatomy and physiology. But what foods do primates eat that can be digested easily?  


Dr. Robert V Green, N.D. 05/30/21

Click here to read more from the “Natural Healthcare for our Modern World” collection.

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