herbivores, carnivores or omnivores? It's very important for a given animal to eat what

人類是草食性，肉食性還是雜食性動物呢? 對一個動物來說，

they are physiologically and anatomically designed to eat, to improve the chances of

依照自己本身的生理和身體結構上的設計來吃，而提高生存的機率和增進健康

survival and health. So, what are humans designed to eat? When looking at a

是非常重要的。所以(根據這個原則)，人類是設計來吃什麼的呢？當我們觀察一個

species to determine what they are in terms of carnivore, omnivore or herbivore, we can

物種來決定這個物種是否為草食性，肉食性或是雜食性動物時，我們可以

look at their behavior or we can look their biology. From a behavioral

由這個物種的行為或是從生物學的角度來作決定。從行為方面的

standpoint, humans behave as omnivores because we observe many humans in their behavior eating

立場來看，人類表現得像雜食性動物，我們從很多人的飲食行為進而觀察到人類吃的食物相當廣泛，

a wide variety of both animal and plant-based foods. Biologically, however, from

包括肉食和植物性食物。但是若以

a physiologic and anatomic standpoint, it's a different story.

生物學，生理和身體結構的角度來看， 解讀就會有所不同。

Dr. William C. Roberts from the National Institutes of Health and Baylor

於國立衛生研究院和貝勒大學高就的威廉斯。羅伯特醫師，

University — who is the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Cardiology and one

同時也是美國心臟病學期刊的總編輯，更是

of the most prominent cardiologists in the world, with over 1,500 publications

一位在同儕評閱的醫學期刊中發表超過一千五百篇刊物，

in peer-reviewed medical journals — summarized our answer very nicely. He wrote:

世界聞名的傑出心臟病學專家，已經給我們一個很好的總結。他寫道:

“Although most of conduct our lives as omnivores, in that we eat flesh

雖然大多數人過著像雜食性動物的生活，在生活中我們以肉，

as well as vegetables and fruits, human beings have characteristics of

蔬菜和水果為食，但人類具有草食性動物的特徵

herbivores, not carnivores. The appendages of carnivores are claws; those of herbivores

而非肉食性動物的特徵。肉食性動物的附肢帶有爪子，而草食性動物

are hands or hooves. The teeth of carnivores are sharp; those of herbivores are mainly flat (for grinding).

的附肢是手或是蹄。肉食性動物的牙齒是尖銳地，而草食性動物的牙齒多為平坦的(為了磨碎食物)

The intestinal tract of carnivores is short (3 times body length); that of herbivores is

肉食性動物的腸道是短的(身體長度的三倍)，草食性動物

long (12 times body length). Body cooling of carnivores is done by panting;

的腸道則是較長的(身體長度的十二倍);肉食性動物的身體降溫是靠哈氣

herbivores, by sweating. Carnivores drink

而草食性動物是靠出汗來降溫; 肉食性動物是以

fluids by lapping; herbivores by sipping Carnivores produce their own vitamin C,

舔舐的方式喝水，草食性動物是以吸吮的方式喝水; 肉食性動物自己本身能夠生產出維他命C，

whereas herbivores obtain it from their diet

而草食性動物則需從飲食中來攝取維他命C;

Thus, humans have characteristics of herbivores, not carnivores."

由此可知，人類具有草食性動物的特徵而非肉食性動物

That's right.

這就對啦

Humans have characteristics of herbivores, not carnivores or omnivores — because omnivores,

人類擁有草食性動物的特徵，並非肉食性動物，也非雜食性動物; 因為雜食性動物

like bears raccoons, actually retain most of the carnivorous

像是熊和狸，幾乎擁有肉食性動物所有的

characteristics, so that they are still able to digest and hunt their prey, and do so

特徵，所以它們才有效率的捕捉和消化獵物

effectively. Although we behave like omnivores, our digestive system actually resembles

雖然我們表現得像雜食性動物，但我們的消化系統和

that of the chimpanzees and other great apes, who eat mostly plants. The percentage of

以植物為主食的人猿及體型較大的猩猩其實是較類似的，

animal foods that chimpanzees do eat is very low, if any, about 2 to 3%

人猿吃動物性食物的百分比相當低，如果有的話大約是百分之2到3之間

and mainly termites and other insects. Regarding the gastrointestinal system --

而且主要是白蟻和其他昆蟲類; 關於消化系統的部分，

humans, like herbivores, have a relatively smaller opening of the oral cavity

人類和草食性動物一樣，有著相較於頭部大小來說,嘴巴可張開的幅度比頭部小

compared to the head size. Carnivores have a wide mouth in relation to the head size, and their

肉食性動物嘴巴可張開的幅度則是比頭部大，且它們

jaw joint is a hinge joint, very strong and stable lying in the same plane as the teeth; the

的頜關節是屬於樞接式關節(下頜關節突與上頜的關節窩緊密相接)，十分堅固與牙齒平行

lower jaw of a carnivore doesn't move forward and there's very limited side-to-side

肉食性動物的下頜無法前後，左右移動也有限

motion. Like herbivores, our jaw joint is positioned above the level of the teeth, and because it

如同草食性動物一般，我們的頜關節位於牙齒上方，

has an expanded angle, the lower jaw has more sideways motion and more lateral and

且因為我們的頜關節角度寬闊，我們的下頜能夠做出前後和左右

complex motion for chewing plant foods. Our jaw joints are less stable and strong

這類複雜的運動來咀嚼食物; 我們的頜關節不如

than those of carnivores therefore, and could be easily dislocated if we

肉食性動物來的堅固，因此如果我們真的嘗試去捕捉獵物的話，頜關節會容易脫節，如果我們

actually tried to prey on an animal. On the other hand,

真的嘗試去捕捉獵物的話，頜關節會容易脫節; 另一方面,

if a carnivore had our more unstable jaws, and dislocated their jaw, they would probably starve and die, or be preyed upon; so, it would be

如果肉食性動物有著跟我們一樣不穩固的頜骨，然後頜骨(在捕捉獵物時)脫節了，它們就很有可能會因此而餓死或是被其它們肉食性動物捕食;

very disadvantages to a carnivore to have jaws like ours. Herbivores chew food to disrupt

對於肉食性動物來說，若他們有像我們這樣的頜骨，會是相當不利的。草食性動物咀嚼食物以磨碎

plant cell walls for better digestion and to mix it with saliva, because unlike carnivores,

植物的細胞壁，以唾液和食物混在一起，使食物好消化，反之肉食性動物

who mostly swallow the food without chewing and mixing it with saliva, herbivores and humans

多以吞食不咀嚼食物的進食方式,且他們也不以唾液和食物混在一起; 草食性動物和人類

have saliva that contains digestive enzymes. So, our digestion starts in the chewing process.

具有含消化酶的唾液，因此我們消化食物的過程就從咀嚼開始;

The saliva of carnivorous animals does not contain any enzymes for digestion.

肉食性動物的唾液內不含消化酶

Teeth are strikingly different as well.

牙齒(的構造)上也有極大的差異

Our canines are flattened, blunt and small, shaped like a spade and non-serrated; unlike

我們的犬齒是平鈍且小，狀似鏟子非鋸齒狀

carnivores, who have them elongated and dagger-like, which are often serrated for killing and

反之肉食性動物的牙齒就長很多且狀似尖刀，他們通常有著鋸齒狀的牙齒，為的就是能夠殺死

tearing their pray. Our molars and premolars are squared and flattened for grinding and crushing;

和撕裂獵物; 我們方狀且平坦的臼齒和前臼齒是為了用來磨碎食物

unlike carnivores, who have them sharp, jagged and shaped like a blade.

反之肉食性動物則是有尖銳且狀似鋸齒的牙齒

If we humans tried to kill a giraffe, for example, with our teeth,

假如我們人類試著去用牙齒去殺死一隻長頸鹿

we'd sooner get kicked by the animal. Or, if we successfully snuck-up and

我們很快就會被這隻長頸鹿狠踹一腳; 或是假如我們成功的進攻了

actually tried to really bite into the live animal, it could could easily result in

然後嘗試去啃食這隻活生生的動物，結果非常可能就是

some of our teeth falling out or our jaw dislocating. We would for sure end up

我們的牙齒會掉落或著是我們的頜關節鬆脫了，最後我們也很肯定

with a very annoyed giraffe, but not a dead one to prey upon. And on to the stomach. Our stomach

會惹火了這隻長頸鹿，也就不可能捕捉到一隻死掉的長頸鹿啦; 接下來要講的是胃部

volume is, like herbivores, about 25% of our gastrointestinal tract; unlike carnivores,

我們胃容量大約是我們胃腸道的四分之一; 不像肉食性動物

who have a very large stomach volume with twice as much capacity, about 60 to

它們擁有相當大也是兩倍大的胃容量，佔了它們整個胃腸道的百分之六十

70% of their total G.I. tract volume, which allows them to kill maybe once a

到七十之間，如此的胃容量也使它們能夠一個星期

week, gorge on large amounts of meat, and digest later.

只狩獵一次，每次都能夠吞下大量的肉，之後才做消化

The pH of our stomach is about 4 to 5, with food;

我們的胃酸值在進食後大約是4到5之間，

unlike carnivores who secrete a lot more hydrochloric acid

反之，肉食性動物會自己分泌出鹽酸

and have a stomach pH that is a lot more acidic (their pH is usually one or less,

它們的胃酸值就相當的低(胃酸值通常在進食後是1

with food). The more acidic stomach of a carnivore is advantageous to kill bacteria found in

或少於1); 肉食性動物較低的胃酸值比較有利於殺死在

decaying flesh. As Dr. Roberts mentioned, humans, like herbivores, have a very long small intestine,

胃中的腐屍所產生出來的細菌; 就如羅伯特醫生所提到的，人類跟草食性動物一樣有很窄長的腸子

about 10 times the length of our body; unlike the intestines in carnivorous animals, which are

腸子的長度約是我們的身體的10倍左右，反之肉食性動物的腸子

short, only about 3 to 5 times their body length. The long intestines in

是短的，大約只有身體的3到5倍;長形狀的腸子

humans and herbivores is necessary for the fibers in plants, which require

對於人類和草食性動物消化植物裡的纖維是必要的

longer and more elaborate guts, sometimes even sacculated like the human gut.

消化植物裡的纖維需要較長和縝密的腸子，有時甚至像人類囊狀的腸子

And, there are some striking physiologic differences as well. Just like other herbivores,

(草食性和肉食性動物)生理上的差異也是相當的大;跟其他草食性動物一樣

humans require vitamin C from plants. If we don't eat vitamin C, we get a disease

人類需要從植物內來攝取維他命C，如果我們不攝取維他命C，會得到

called scurvy where we are unable to make collagen, which is

壞血病，因而無法產生膠原，這也是

the building substance of mostly everything in our body (so, lack of vitamin C can

建構幾乎我們身體每一個部分的重要元素，所以缺乏維他命C會

result in problems in our bones, bleeding gums, problems with healing, etc.).

導致骨骼，牙齦出血和自我癒療功能等等的問題

And vitamin C is found exclusively in plants. Mammals that are primarily carnivorous do

維他命C只存在植物裡，肉食性哺乳類動物不

not need to eat vitamin C from their diets. They make their own vitamin C. Also, vitamin A

需要從飲食種攝取維他命C，它們本身就能夠製造維他命C; 維他命A也有

is telling. There are two types of vitamin A: (1) preformed vitamin A, like retinol, found in animal

被提到，維他命A分為兩種，第一種是預成形的維他命A，像是視黃醇，可以在動物性相關產品

products like meat, liver, dairy products, eggs and fish; and (2) pro-vitamin A,

像是肉，肝臟，奶製品，蛋和魚中找到; 第二種是後形成的維他命A

carotenoids, found in plant foods. The form of vitamin A that comes from

也是類胡蘿蔔素，能在植物性食物中找的到

animals can be toxic to humans in large quantities. The livers of animals that

大量攝取來自於動物的這種維他命A對人類是有毒性的

are primarily carnivorous have the capacity to detoxify vitamin A.

肉食性動物的肝臟有解維他命A毒性的能耐

However, our livers are unable to do this. In this paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

但我們的肝臟無法做到這點; 在這篇刊登在美國臨床營養學期刊

scientists expressed concern that excess of the vitamin A that comes from animals is

的文章內有提到，科學家對於動物性產品中超標的維他命A

not always identified and can cause serious problems. They say, “excessive

並未都能被鑒定出來表示擔憂，這會導致嚴重的問題，他們說

vitamin A intake may be a growing but underappreciated problem.” And apparently

”攝取過多的維他命A也許是一個正在成長但卻未被意識到的問題”，而且很明顯的

this problem is nothing new. The scientists reported that: “Fossilized skeletal

這個不是一個最近才開始發生的問題，這些科學家在報告中指出”早期人類的化石骨骼

remains of early humans suggest that bone abnormalities may

建議了我們當時的骨骼異常有可能

have been caused by hypervitaminosis A [which means excess of vitamin A]. From these

就是(攝取)過量的維他命A所造成的，從這些

and other reports, vitamin A toxicity is known to be an ancient phenomenon.”

和其他報告可以得知，維他命A毒性是一個已知的古現象

So, it looks like have been behavior omnivores for quite some time now, notwithstanding our biology.

所以，這樣看來，雖與生物學相違背，但至今我們已經當了”行為上的雜食性動物”已經有好一段時間了

The last thing I want to point out is actually a very sad thing. A characteristic that is unique to

我想要指出最後一件真的令人難過的事情，(那就是一個特徵)這個特徵是草食性

herbivores and not in carnivores, and it's a problem in humans. It's something that

動物特有的且不存在於肉食性動物，這是人類的一個問題

Dr. Roberts pointed out as well: “Atherosclerosis affects only herbivores.

這也是羅伯特醫生曾指出的一件事情: “動脈硬化症只對草食性動物有影響，

Dogs, cats, tigers, and lions can be saturated with fat and cholesterol,

狗，貓，老虎和獅子能夠以自身的脂肪和膽固醇來做飽和，

and atherosclerotic plaques do not develop.”

如此動脈硬化斑塊便無法衍生出來

That's right. Carnivores and omnivores — animals who are designed to eat other animals — can eat all the

這就對啦，天生被設計吃其他動物的肉食性動物和雜食性動物

animals and animal products they want and they never develop atherosclerosis,

可以吃所有動物和其產物而絕對不會衍生出動脈硬化症

which are plaques of cholesterol coating our vessels that can occlude the blood flow that goes

這個症狀是這樣的: 膽固醇的斑塊使我們的血管變厚因而阻礙血管輸送

to our heart and brain [and] cause heart attacks and strokes. Cholesterol in our

到我們的心臟和大腦，然後進而造成心臟病發作和中風，在我們的

diet is only present in animal products, and we don't need to consume any of it,

飲食中，膽固醇只存在於動物性產品中，而且我們不需要攝取任何的膽固醇

because our body synthesizes already all of the cholesterol that we need for all of our biologic needs.

因為我們的身體已經綜合了所有我們生理所需的膽固醇

Animals that are not designed to eat meat, like herbivores, including humans, do develop atherosclerosis. We do develop

不是設計來吃肉的動物，像是草食性動物包括人類，會衍生出動脈硬化症，我們的動脈

this problematic coating of cholesterol in our arteries, and we do it big time. Atherosclerosis is ubiquitous on

確實會衍生出有問題性的厚膽固醇層，而且發生率很高;動脈硬化症狀在

a Western diet with animal products since very early in our lives. We really do end up

西方飲食裡，我們很早就開始以動物性產品為食的生活中，可說是普及的; 我們最後

paying a price for behaving like omnivores, when we are biologically designed as herbivores.

真的會為表現得像雜食性動物而付出代價的; 當我們在生物學上是設計成草食性動物。

Thanks you very much.

非常謝謝您的收看。