Heroes and Villains

Barry Groves: Unvegan Hero

August 7th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit Comment
Same same same same different.

Same same same same different.

Barry Groves is a man who knows a lot about health.  And he’s not just some know-it-all with a blog (read:  me), he has a PhD to back it up.  So when he decided to write about the diet of some important mammals, as compared to humans, I took notice.  In his article, “Should all animals eat a high-fat, low-carb diet?” he debunks some common theories that vegans cling to in order to justify their unnatural lifestyles.

Most notable is his comparison of humans to gorillas.  Groves says,

In a herbivore such as the gorilla, the caecum and colon harbour huge colonies of bacteria which ferment carbohydrates, particularly fibre, and use it to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA) … These are then absorbed into the body to be used as a source of energy.

The humans don’t have the luxury of this bacteria, so we must get our fatty acids directly from eating animals.  It is natural for mammals to eat food high in fat, and while herbivores are able to get this fat from eating plants and letting the bacteria turn the plants into fat, humans simply don’t have the bacteria to do this.

So anytime a vegan points to herbivorous relatives of ours like gorillas as a reason that we should only eat vegetables, they should really take a closer look at the facts.  Our bodies are just not made for that kind of lifestyle.

Groves later points out how much less healthy we humans are as a race than we were a century ago, or even twenty years ago, when so-called “healthy diets” were introduced.  He says, “It is beginning to look as if these recommendations are not in the best interests of our health. They aim for a diet that is the exact opposite of what our natural diet should be.”

Amen to that.

For scientifically breaking down the need for humans to eat animals and for justifying my lifestyle in doing so, Barry Groves, you are a true Unvegan Hero!

(via Second Opinions)


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UNVEGAN FANS: HELP STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT DELICIOUS FOOD!

Future Foodies!

HYPE is a non-profit organization that works directly with low-income middle schoolers and their teachers to provide students with the guidance and resources needed to qualify for admission and succeed at top private schools in the Los Angeles area. We provide our students with engaging and unfamiliar experiences to broaden their horizons. A large part of building this cultural capital is by having our students try a wide variety of new foods. This pushes our students outside of their comfort zones and encourages them to take risks in a fun (and tasty!) way. Last summer, our students tried Ethiopian food, sushi, Korean BBQ, deli, and schwarma, just to provide some examples.

We want your help, Unvegan fans, to increase our students’ knowledge about the world around them by enhancing their culinary experiences. We greatly appreciate your support to provide a meal to our group of 15. With your donation, you will be opening delicious doors for an amazing group of students! Please click on the link below to contribute to your favorite cuisine to a great group of kids!

Ethiopian Food
Sushi
Korean BBQ
Deli
Schwarma
Seafood
Indian Food