Digestive systems of....

[chris m failla]

I recently came across some very interesting articles from a website called secondopinions.uk and it was about the digestive systems of herbivores and carnivores and then humans. It suggested that herbivores, like the lowland gorilla, that eat mostly leaves, eats a diet of mostly fibre. That the diet may seem like a low fat, low protein, high fibre diet. But the caecum in the digestive tract is very large compared to humans and carnivores, and that in the caecum, produces large amounts of fermenting bacteria decomposing the fibre and creates short chain fatty acid ( SCFA) in abundace to be absorbed into the body of the herbivore. Making the percentage of fat intake much higher, like 58.9% of total calories. So basically this site is geared towards a high fat low carb diet, and that is the diet we are meant for as well as most animals orginally thought to be low fat. What do ya think

[Oscar]

The problem is that we're not herbivores...

[chris m failla]

Right. But I think the point is that carnivores eat a high fat low carb diet, obviously, but an herbivore also eats a high fat low carb diet, not so obviously. And the human "should" also eat a high fat low carb diet, especially since we cant break down cellulose, and we dont have the caecum to ferment all the fiber. And since all animals thrive or use fatty acids as its main fuel source, so should we.

[chris m failla]

Or are we the exception? Is it healthy for use to eat a high carb diet of fruit?

[Oscar]

That's why we eat low-fiber foods i.e. fruit.

Our body needs sugar and fat energy both. For instance our brain needs 125gr-150gr of glucose per day.

Comparing humans to gorillas is more or less the same as comparing humans to cows, or lions for that matter. Why not compare us to the closest omnivore primate, the Capuchin monkey? That monkey eats mainly fruits, nuts, and insects/small mammals.

[chris m failla]

Cool. That makes sense. That'a why I love you guys and this site. And especially if we juice our fruits, we bypass all the fiber, and simplify.

[Oscar]

[RRM]

the point is that carnivores eat a high fat low carb diet

Not that high in fat.
Yes, higher in fat than a herbivore diet, but a carnivore diet is specifically high in protein...

[souken]

Comparing humans to gorillas is more or less the same as comparing humans to cows, or lions for that matter. Why not compare us to the closest omnivore primate, the Capuchin monkey? That monkey eats mainly fruits, nuts, and insects/small mammals.

Platyrrhini (new world monkeys) and Catarrhini (our parvorder) diverged approximately 43 MYA. While gorillas diverged from us about 8 MYA.

[Oscar]

My point being that if humans are compared to gorillas, and not to chimpanzees, who are thought to be genetically far closer to humans than gorillas are, one would be better off comparing us to Capuchin monkeys, who are said to have comparative digestive tracts. In the former case one compares genes, in the latter gut morphology.