Ever hear someone refer to themselves as a carnivore? Chances are they probably are not. Often people misclassify themselves as a carnivore to indicate that they are not vegetarians and thus include meat and other animal products in their diet. However, the strictest definition of the word carnivore is that which consumes rarely anything but meat.

This is not to say that some people would not fit into the classification of facultative carnivores but in reality, the human race is more aptly considered to be omnivore. Interestingly, this is the case more due to the choices that people have made rather than the manner in which our physical makeup would dictate. There are numerous indications that the human body is more intended as an herbivore which would make us solely a plant-eater.

First of all, a human’s mouth is more designed for plant eating. We do not have the larger mouth, teeth type and spacing nor jaw type that true carnivores have. Humans have carbohydrate digesting enzymes in our saliva which carnivores do not. Our facial muscles structure is different, our jaw action is different, and how much we chew is different.

Secondly, our intestinal track is far different than that of a carnivore. Carnivores have a short track so that meat which is prone to rotting can be eliminated quickly. Humans have an intestinal track that is far longer. Even the stomach is different. Carnivores have a large, single-chambered stomach that facilitates eating a larger meal but less often; humans in comparison have a smaller stomach requiring daily consumption.

Add this to these facts that our stomach acidity, kidneys and liver are all that of an herbivore, not a carnivore, and one can readily see that our physical makeup is much more that of an herbivore. These facts are why some are opting for vegan or vegetarian diets even without the humanitarian reasons.