VEGETARIANISM
In 1980, the Los Angeles Times and Weekly World News carried articles about Wu Yunging, a man who lived in China. Mr. Yunging was an extraordinary person, for he was 142 years old. What do you suppose his diet consisted of? He said that he eats corn, rice, sweet potatoes, fruits, and vegetables. In other words, he ate no meat, milk, eggs, refined oils, sugars, etc.. He lived to the age of 142 because he ate the kind of foods that God originally gave mankind in the Garden of Eden. These foods were fruits, nuts, grains, and herb bearing seeds. Can we improve upon God's perfect diet by eating flesh? No! Flesh eating brings with it sickness, lack of energy, and a shorter life span.
Consider the elephant. How much dead flesh does he eat? None! And an elephant can live for over one hundred years because he is a vegetarian; whereas carnivorous animals, such as a cat or dog, live approximately 10-15 years. What are the strongest animals in the world - the ones used for centuries because of their endurance and strength? - elephants, water buffalo, camels, mules, and horses; and they all have this one thing in common, they are vegetarians! A lion, which eats flesh exclusively, has very little endurance, for he sleeps approximately 20 hours a day.
MAN'S BODY WAS NOT DESIGNED TO EAT MEAT
Let's look at some simple physiological aspects of meat eating. A carnivore's teeth are long, sharp, and pointed for ripping and tearing flesh. Man has molars for crushing and grinding. A carnivore's jaws moves up and down only, for tearing and biting. Man's moves up and down and from side to side for grinding. A carnivore's tongue is rough, while man's is smooth. A carnivore's saliva is acid and geared to the digestion of animal protein, while man's saliva is alkaline for the digestion of starch. A carnivore's intestines are only three times the length of its trunk, designed for rapid expulsion of food stuff, which would otherwise quickly rot. Man's intestines, on the other hand, are twelve times the length of his trunk, and designed to keep food in them until all nutrients are extracted. The liver and kidneys of a carnivore are capable of eliminating large amounts of uric acid; whereas man's liver and kidneys have the capacity to eliminate only a small amount of uric acid. A carnivore's urine is acid; man's is alkaline.
Man is also not psychologically equipped to eat meat. The average American is repulsed by the sight of bloody, dead flesh. If we had to do our own slaughtering of the animals we eat, I believe there would be fewer meat eaters.
Our refined food is now killing us on the installment plan. More than 4,000 heart attacks occur every day in the United States. Every 50 seconds a new diabetic is discovered. Half of all Americans over 40 have high blood pressure. These diseases are not found in 75% of the world's population. Why? Because Americans like to eat, they eat too much, and they eat the wrong kinds of foods such as meat, milk, eggs, sugar, oil, and refined and processed foods.