Evolutionary Traits

Markedly easier to stay vegan when your mother is helping out.

My mother's turning vegan as well, though she's also thinking about refraining from onions, garlic etc - which are basically religious taboos. I personally have no problems with them although I'm aware of the fact that onions and garlic are rumoured to burn holes in Vegetarians' stomachs because we are unable to digest the spices due to lack of toxic materials. That hasn't happened to any vegan or vegetarian so far, so I assume all that "info" is based on a lobbyist trying to justify the eating of other living beings.

Some interesting facts from a book I read over the weekend (this info is in Peta as well).

Differences and similarities between Carnivores, Herbivores and Humans :

Carnivores :
1) Long, jagged, dagger shaped teeth with no molars
2) Jaws can only move vertically (up and down)
3) Swallows food without chewing
4) Extremely strong stomach acid to dissolve flesh
5) Intestines 3 times the length of body to facilitate purge of rotten flesh
6) Sweats through tongues
7) Saliva does not contain digestive enzymes
8) Sharp, pointed and elongated claws to tear up prey
9) Large mouth to bite and hold prey
(Eg. Tigers, Dogs, Lions, Cats)

Herbivores
1) Flat, rectangular teeth with flat molars to facilitate grinding of vegetables and fruits
2) Jaws can move horizontally and vertically
3) Chews food before swallowing to aid digestion
4) Stomach acid 20 times weaker than carnivores'
5) Intestines greater than 10 times length of body
6) Sweats through skin
7) Saliva has digestive enzymes
8) Blunt nails (Hooves, or hand-like with fingers)
9) Small mouth
(Eg. Monkeys, Giraffes, Cows, Sheep)

Humans
1) Flat, rectangular teeth with flat molars to facilitate grinding of vegetables and fruits
2) Jaws can move horizontally and vertically
3) Chews food before swallowing to aid digestion
4) Stomach acid 20 times weaker than carnivores'
5) Intestines 10-11 times length of body
6) Sweats through skin
7) Saliva has digestive enzymes (Salivary amylase)
8) Blunt nails, Opposable thumbs for foraging through vegetation
9) Small mouth

Here's where it gets interesting.

Many people protest that humans are omnivores, even though the analogy states otherwise. (Omnivores include the Bear and the Racoon) The bear, for instance has a predominantly vegetarian diet, but does dismember and kill prey when necessary, hence they retain the sharp teeth (even though they have molars for grinding), and sharp claws. They still, however, possess the molars and the ability to grind their food. The only exception is in Polar bears, where they are unable to find vegetables in the winter scene and therefore have adapted fully carnivorous traits instead.

But this isn't a sudden evolution : Bears and racoons have been this way for just about the full length of their evolutionary cycle. Humans, on the other hand, are "evolutionarily-committed" to a vegetarian diet (Note I didn't say Vegan - dairy and eggs were gotten in less cruel ways in the days of old, and abstaining from them now is purely for compassionate reasons) and in the same way that you don't see elephants trying to eat smaller animals even though they're totally able to, humans shouldn't as well.

A discovery channel show I saw sometime back discussing the evolutionary flow of humans pointed out that humans started as vegetarians, and then turned to omnivorian, then to vegetarians again, and then to omnivorian again. Notice that throughout the evolutionary cycle, we retained herbivorean traits instead of carnivorean traits. In other words, not only does a vegetarian / vegan diet promote health and is better for the economy and the world, it's also the right thing to eat.

(More information here.)