Human Digestion & The Fall

Calminian · #21 6th November 2005, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by nvxplorer

A healthy diet for an Inuit consists of high levels of animal fat and protein. Evolution tells us why.

Interesting. I do believe I've heard this as well. While our prelapsarian diet was to be veggies only, God must have known it was not the best diet after the fall. And perhaps the kosher diet was specific (and most beneficial) for the people of that area of the world (the semitic peoples).

Calminian · #22 6th November 2005, 02:57 AM

Originally Posted by TeddyKGB

Of course then one would be objecting to the entirety of biochemistry thereby.

Great point!

With that I'll say good night.

nvxplorer · #23 6th November 2005, 03:04 AM

Originally Posted by Calminian

Interesting. I do believe I've heard this as well. While our prelapsarian diet was to be veggies only, God must have known it was not the best diet after the fall. And perhaps the kosher diet was specific (and most beneficial) for the people of that area of the world (the semitic peoples).

Or perhaps it has something to do with the Arctic environment? Wheat and barley don’t grow well in tundra.

Beastt · #24 6th November 2005, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by Calminian

You may find it interesting that while the Bible condones meat in does not condone excess meat consumption like we practice today. There are actually passages warning against the gluttonous consumption of meat. The healthiest diets according to the experts I’ve heard are low protein, high complex carbs and veggies. From what I've heard the vegan diets aren't a good idea. And there are many experts that believe the kosher diet saved the Israelites from several diseases their neighboring nations suffered.

You may find it interesting that while the Bible condones eating meat, man is biologically classifiable as a herbivore. And while you've heard that vegan diets are not a good idea, statistically those diets are shown to be far healthier for humans than are more traditional diets which include animal products. I agree that the healthiest diets are low-protein, (Good call on that. Most people aren't aware of the detrimental effects of high-protein), complex carbs and veggies. Perhaps too many people simply don't know that vegetables can provide just as much protein as animal flesh and without the saturated fat and cholesterol.

It just doesn't make sense to me that God would make man a herbivore, then later tell him he could consume like an omnivore but make no changes to man's physiology to accomodate the change in diet. Of course we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that during the era when men wrote the Bible, they were unaware of the need for specific digestive physiology.

Many people today seem to find ways of suggesting that God has approved of things they've simply decided they want to do. To me, the bibilcal accounts of God approving of a diet contrary to the body he designed for man just doesn't make any sense. It does, however, make sense if you consider that even biblical authors were subject to projecting their own approval for their wants and desires onto God. That would explain the biblical accounts of God approving of war, wife-beating, infanticide, and kidnapping as well. In short, they wrote what they wanted to write and attributed it to God to gain both approval and compliance.

Calminian · #25 6th November 2005, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Beastt

You may find it interesting that while the Bible condones eating meat, man is biologically classifiable as a herbivore.

Obviously God classified man as an omnivore.

Originally Posted by Beastt

And while you've heard that vegan diets are not a good idea, statistically those diets are shown to be far healthier for humans than are more traditional diets which include animal products.

Vegans are better of than those partaking of the standard american diet. That's not saying a lot, though. There are better choices.

Originally Posted by Beastt

I agree that the healthiest diets are low-protein, (Good call on that. Most people aren't aware of the detrimental effects of high-protein), complex carbs and veggies. Perhaps too many people simply don't know that vegetables can provide just as much protein as animal flesh and without the saturated fat and cholesterol.

I've seen many nutritionists in my day and they do not recommend vegan diets. They do recommend a low consumption of animal products though. Animal products should be supplemental only. There are a lot of vegans out there that could benefit from small amounts of animal protein. But unfortunately their diets are usually based on ideologies that won't allow it.

Beastt · #26 6th November 2005, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Calminian

Obviously God classified man as an omnivore.

Though this can all quickly extend well beyond the scope of the thread...

I'm fairly certain what you meant to say was that the Bible claims that God classified man as an omnivore. Though a lot of people like to assume that whatever the Bible says is the word of God, that's all just assumption. It's built on the same claim as Oasphe, The Book of Mormon, the Qur'an and the writings of David Koresh as well as many other texts. If we're to assume that any one of them is actually the word of God based on the claim, then we should assume they all are. Of course they contradict each other but they also contradict themselves so it shouldn't be a problem.

Aside from all of that, I'm not compelled by what people think God classified man as. Biological classifications work just fine and man doesn't classify as an omnivore. Mouth gape, jaw hinge location, jaw angle, teeth, saliva, salivary glands, salivary enzymes, stomach acid, stomach capacity, length of digestive tract, digestive tract routing and inside contour and even our urine all show us to be more properly classified as a herbivore than an omnivore.

Medical statistics based on diet also bear this out. People who avoid animal products suffer less cancer, far fewer heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, kidney disease, hemorrhoids, obesity, asthma and a number of other common diseases. They also tend to display greater longevity.

Originally Posted by Calminian

Vegans are better of than those partaking of the standard american diet. That's not saying a lot, though. There are better choices.

That's an interesting statement. Since you seem to believe that the Bible is the word of God you might want to look at Genesis 1:29 where God prescribes a vegan diet for man. Then in Genesis 9:2-3 he tells man that it's okay to consume animal flesh but he makes no change to man's physiology

Originally Posted by Calminian

I've seen many nutritionists in my day and they do not recommend vegan diets.

How many is "many"? Who are they and how long ago did they earn their degrees?

Originally Posted by Calminian

They do recommend a low consumption of animal products though. Animal products should be supplemental only. There are a lot of vegans out there that could benefit from small amounts of animal protein. But unfortunately their diets are usually based on ideologies that won't allow it.

Perhaps you should aquaint yourself with Dr. Neal Bernard, Dr. John McDougall and the work of the late Nathan Pritikin, (founder of Pritikin Longevity Centers). They're some of the top men in their field, not only practicing as nutritionist, but also as published authors and guest speakers who are well respected in nutritionist circles.

nvxplorer · #27 6th November 2005, 06:38 PM

The problem with vegan diets is that they are low in some vitamins and minerals, especially iron.

Beastt · #28 6th November 2005, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by nvxplorer

The problem with vegan diets is that they are low in some vitamins and minerals, especially iron.

I can get you the actual iron content of foods if you want. You might be surprised. There is only one thing a vegan diet is deficient in and that's only because we scrub the skins off of things. That one thing is Vitamin B12 but it's a biggie. A deficiency can cause permanent nerve damage so it's nothing to play with. But a very limited supplement is all that is required to assure good health.

When you compare that to the excesses provided by a standard diet, the trade-off more than makes sense. When speaking of developed countries like the U.S., while everyone is concerned about diseases of deficiency, they're dying from diseases of excess. Anyone had a case of beriberi, scurvy or pelegra recently? How about heart attack, hypertension, diabetes or stroke?