 Humans are born to eat meat. This profound myth entices 96.8 percent of the American population. Food is an essential part of life, for on average a human being spends 38000 hours eating, and many more thinking about food. Therefore, it takes up a big part of life. However, most people are unaware that an individual’s food choices do not only influence him or her on multiple levels, but also impacts society as a whole. Since the beginning of mankind, and most notably since technology evolved, humans started to address this concern. Over time, the biggest controversy remains the question about meat - should people persist to be omnivores? Or are humans really meant to be herbivores? In this case, herbivore refers to a diet based solely on plants, whereas an omnivorous diet contains meat as well. The necessary killing of animals to substantiate humans’ needs does not only challenge ethical concepts, but also correlates such with a negative effect on the environment. Moreover, the consumption of meat is considered to negatively affect a human’s health. In a modern society, the necessity to shift from an omnivorous diet to a healthier and more environmentally friendly herbivore diet becomes evident as the meat based diet, defended by historical traditions, grows obsolete. 

Humans and animals can be friends. This concept is not often disputed, but the inconsistency of what meat is acceptable to eat and which one is not varies even amongst society today. Since the beginning of mankind, meat consumption has been part of human’s culture. While killing some animals, humans simultaneously created a bond of friendship with other species such as wolves, and later domesticated them into dogs. In today’s culture, the value of animals is attributed towards its affinity as “man’s best friend”. If the animal fails such standards, it is most likely seen as a source for nourishment, and slaughtered regardless of the fact that they are living - morally correct or not. Nonetheless, this categorization of cuteness and playfulness is highly subjective, which again makes the lines of moral uprightness in regards to slaughtering animals somewhat disperse. Colvin in her essay “Signs of Intelligent Life” emphasizes one prime example of the controversy between animals: the different treatment between Juliana pigs and their average size counterparts. Average size pigs are used as protein source, whereas Juliana pigs are now seen as a human companion due to their “cuteness.” This means that logically, normal pigs should not be slaughtered as well because when they are younger, they are literal doppelganger of Juliana pigs. Nonetheless, millions of young as well as adult pigs are slaughtered every day to substantiate the ever-growing demand of meat.  

Oftentimes the killing of animals is based on their intelligence; the more intelligent the animals are the less likely they are to be seen as an option for the next supper. The dog, playfully regarded as “man’s best friend,” is perceived as one of the most intelligent animals, and therefore in conjunction with their cuteness is not used as a food source in Western Society. Nevertheless, a lot of individuals are not aware of most other animals’ intelligence. Colvin in her essay argues that pigs are actually smarter than dogs regarding some tasks, and overall own complex ethological traits similar to those of dogs and cats.” Pigs live in complex social communities, they love to play, and they recognize each other as individuals. They are adept at solving mazes and other tests involving object location, and they can recognize a simple symbolic language. They have excellent long-term memories” (Colvin 2). Furthermore, according to research, most pigs demonstrate the intelligence of a three-year-old child, as they are able to learn new skills rather easily. These scientific facts further challenge the societies’ concept of meat categorization. 

Aside from the moral complication that goes along with consuming meat on a regular basis, the entire environment is affect by society’s choice of nourishment. Everyone is aware of the methane gas emission caused by farming; however, most are oblivious to the fact that the cattle industry accounts for more greenhouse gas emission than the entire transportation system together. This emission of green house puts planet earth and at risk - if nothing is changed soon, global warming and its environmental consequences will be irreversible. 

Uneconomic measures have to be taken to sustain this ever-increasing demand of meat. The emission of green house gases is not the only negative effect associated with the farming industry. This industry requires a huge amount of natural resources to sustain itself, including more than 50 percent of the world’s water supply, while simultaneously endangering the supply by dumping toxic nitrogen and phosphorous. As the single largest human-related use of land, farming directly leads to hazardous land erosion as well as to deforestation of vital areas – a major concern for many scientists as it relates to the size of the ozone layer. With a continuous increase meat production, 5 times as much in 2016 than in 1960, which threatens societies’ habitat, the American Standard diet needs to be reevaluated.  

Advocates of the Mediterranean diet accentuate the deficits of a solely herbivore diet, and simultaneously stress the importance of a diet based on the concept “everything in moderation.” In regards to the consumption of meat, people should not overindulge; nonetheless, it should still portray a major food source based on its nutritional benefits. The bioavailability of protein found in meat is unique. Moreover, many minerals and vitamins such as B12, “[whose] adequate intakes ensure a normal function of the immune system, the mucous membranes and the general metabolism of substrates,” are solely found in animal protein (Biesalski 10). Biesalski in his essay “Meat as a Component of a Healthy Diet – are there any Risks or Benefits if Meat is Avoided in the Diet” substantiates the claim that an omnivorous diet is the most beneficial to human kind, based on history. It is scientifically proven that when humans started to incorporate meat into their diet that their levels of intelligence increased significantly. Researchers concluded that this phenomenon occurred most likely due to the bioavailability of protein found in meat. Therefore, if humans want to excel in life they need adequate protein sources. 

 “Meat is a silent killer,” a concept that attains more support day by day, and is also highly accentuated by Claire McEvoy in her essay “Vegetarian Diets, Low-Meat Diets and Health: A Review” (McEvoy 2287). Meat has always been part of human’s dietary habits; most meals are even centered around it. Nonetheless, meat is not necessary to substantiate a human’s protein needs; vegetables such as beans, broccoli, lentils and peas are great sources of protein. Nowadays, with the rise of common diseases such as digestive issues, CHD, obesity, colon and breast cancer, infertility, high cholesterol, heartburn and many more, researchers have been questioning the nutritional value of society’s most loved individual food group. Claire McEvoy in her essay references multiple studies that substantiate the idea that meat indeed correlates many of the diseases spreading in America. In a scientific study involving over 76,000 participants, the subjects following a herbivore diet were 24 percent less likely than their meat-eating counterparts to die from Congenital Heart Disease, a sickness caused by enormous meat-intake (McEvoy 2288).

The most concerning effect of the American Standardized diet is its effect on the continuous rise of obesity in America. Obesity rates at this moment are now higher than they have ever been before and are subject to rise in the next few years. Currently, 35 percent of Americans are overweight. Not only does obesity correlate other diseases, but it is proven that being overweight has an emotional burden on its sufferer, negatively impacts their life and society as a whole. Even though there are overweight vegetarians, that number is low compared to individuals following an omnivorous diet; hence, individuals, especially of older generations, should highly consider following a vegetarian diet in order to prevent weight gain, and contribute to the epidemic. 

Many people of today’s society consume animal protein, and are oblivious to the possibility of growth hormones still present in the meat. The consumption of meat itself demonstrates a health risk to many, but in conjunction with growth hormones the effects can be horrendous on the human body. These hormones, because they originate outside of the human body, interfere with hormone function; moreover, they can even cause an indirect death through weight gain, abnormalities at birth and during the growth period for children, as well as cancer. Cancer affects significantly more meat eaters than vegetarians. Another harmful effect of hormone-induced meat on the human body is the infertility of men, which directly contradicts an important social rule. For centuries, meat has been a symbol of manhood - if men refuse to eat meat oftentimes they are criticized, demeaned and even called feminine. Myriam Afeiche and her fellow researchers in their scientific experiment concerning the effects of meat intake on male fertility “ Processed Meat Intake Is Unfavorably and Fish Intake Favorably Associated with Semen Quality Indicators among Men Attending a Fertility Clinic” substantiate the concept that meat is harmful to male fertility as it interferes with testosterone levels. Reproduction is not just an essential task to preserve the human species, but also a very intimate and special part of a human’s life; therefore, parents should think twice if they want to risk their children’s health and their own only for the pleasure of consuming meat. 

Even though humans are able to eat meat, based on their anatomy they are not intended to do so. People do not consume raw and unprocessed meat, because it would most likely make them sick. Unlike true carnivores, humans lack the necessary prerequisite to process uncooked meat. Furthermore, a human’s body composition is more similar to that of a primate, which does not consume any meat. This proves that ultimately humans were made to be herbivores, not omnivores. 

Undeniably, following a vegetarian diet or not is a choice everyone needs to make for him or herself. It is publicly known how animals are treated in farming facilities, but for the most part the pleasure of meat takes importance over the greater pain of the animal. Furthermore, a lot of people are ignorant towards the negative environmental side effects and health issues that are caused by the Standard American diet. Nevertheless, it’s their duty to not only look after themselves, but also simultaneously help preserve planet earth for future generations. If individuals want to call society truly modern and ‘progressive-minded’, they have to deny prehistoric eating patterns, move ahead with enhanced clarity and follow the herbivore diet as they were destined to do.
