Gorilla, a strong majestic beast living harmoniously with nature in the dense jungles of Africa! An animal most of us admire as a rather gentle giant.
The image and statement illustrated in the attached picture is clearly designed to send a strong pro vegan message. Almost anybody knows that gorillas are herbivores, meaning their diet is entirely based on plant foods.
Vegans look for a symbol of strength
Gorillas are one of our closest cousins in the animal kingdom. Genetically they are 98.6% similar to humans. That’s pretty close, but certainly not the same. They are beautiful creatures and powerful primates, sharing many features of physical functionality and social behavior with human beings.
It’s easy to see why vegans like to use gorillas as a symbol for propagating their agenda. This message makes veganism an obvious choice for those looking for health and strength. However, either deliberately or out of ignorance this message is full of poor correlations, misunderstood concepts and wrongful conclusions.
Plant eaters have large bellies
The genetic difference of only 1.4% isn’t just about facial features and body hair, or the difference in body proportions like upper limb size versus lower limb size. There are also physiological differences not so easily visible, such as a proportionately smaller brain, but larger liver and larger digestive systems as compared to human beings.
Gorillas visibly have big bellies, which in human beings are correlated with poor health. A healthy young male gorilla of 70” (178 cm) would have a 38” (97 cm) waist. In a human male 38” waist is a sign of obesity, which is not only unattractive, but also unhealthy. To illustrate, a 38” beer belly fits in XL pants.
However, big bellies in gorillas are absolutely necessary. Gorillas have evolved with large guts, due to a much larger and longer colon as compared to human beings, which is to accommodate the bacteria required for the fermentation of plant fibers.
As herbivores they predominantly eat plant fibers and practically eat all of their waking hours, up to 50 lbs a day. These fibers are consumed after foraging for leaves, shoots and stems. They eat little fruit due to the sugar content, as a diet high in easily digestible carbs would also lead to diabetes, just as in human beings.
Strict vegan diet have limited benefits
Now this is where it gets interesting and brings me to my point: did you know that although gorillas mostly consume carbs in the form of plant fiber, the bacteria in their digestive system ferments EVERY single carbohydrate calorie and releases short chain fatty acids as their by-product?
That’s right, you have read correctly: even though Gorillas eat carbohydrates, the end product they consume is fat. The process of fermenting fiber to fat is rather inefficient, requiring vast amounts of plant fiber to be consumed frequently and that is the reason why herbivores spend most of their time eating.
Although human beings naturally have some of the necessary bacteria as well, our capacity to convert plant fiber to fatty acid is very limited. For us eating lettuce all day long may not lead to health benefits.
Plant-based diet can be a full time job
Let’s put it all into perspective, a fully grown male gorilla can weigh up to 500 lbs (225 kg) and be up to 5’11” (180 cm) when erect. That is massive compared to any human being yet gorillas look elegant and athletic. Please consider that they consume a high fiber diet of up to 50 lbs per day, which comes out to about one pound of plant fiber per 10 lbs of body weight.
Using the same formula, an individual weighing about 160 lbs would need to consume 16 lbs of plant fibers. How do you think a person would function eating 16 lbs of mostly leaves, shoots, stems and a little fruit? Even if we could, when would anyone have time to do anything else? Does anybody really believe we would have evolved as the dominant species on this planet and made all of the technological advances if we were busy eating all day long?
Gorillas live off fats
All animals are required to consume foods for energy. What most people do not know that recent research points out that regardless whether the energy source is fiber, protein, or fats, the end energy source for herbivores, omnivores or carnivores is always fatty acids, just like in our example: gorillas.
So what about protein? Protein is an essential nutrient, but not a good source of energy. It is mainly required in limited quantities for body repair. Protein is important, but required in such small quantities that it is easily satisfied by any type of diet, so protein for that matter is really the least of anybody’s worries.
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Fruit over veggies, sat fat (and omega 3), over unsat fat. Rest of carbs should be raw honey, not grains.
I eat very healthily, I haven’t recently started juicing vegetables and super fruits etc to obtain more vitamins. I take supplements such as probiotics, antioxidants etc. I live in the country with fresh air, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink much. I am severely gluten (coeliac) and lactose intolerant. I am a petite naturally slim woman (who eats well) in her 40s. I follow everything you say about immune systems and how to help however despite my lifestyle etc I am ill literally every other week with one thing or another. I have a history of sinus infections and I am currently getting over yet another cold which turned into sinusitis and I have a bladder infection. I take absolutely ages to recover from bugs and colds and I have to take complete bed rest to try and recover. I am completely sick of feeling ill now. It’s utterly embarrassing especially when people view me as being ill “again” or I have to cancel something because im burning up or feeling terrible and need a lie down. Guaranteed every time I take an aeroplane – I will be ill! My immune system seems poorer than my 3 children’s! I don’t know what Else to do. The doctors are much use.
Hi Hannah,
I would suggest a few tests that would check the sources of your poor immune system. It looks like the entire body mucosa is compromised. You get results you need to know what keeps on breaking it down.
1. Heavy metal toxicity. since you are doing body art, there is a high possibility of such. Hair analysis would be the most helpful. LINK: http://amzn.to/2j65JD1 Don’t count on blood test. These are inadequate.
2. DHEA. This is the main adrenal hormone that can be tested either through saliva or through blood. Adrenal profile will tell if it is low. LINK: http://amzn.to/2jr0uBB
3. Nutritional check: ferritin, vitamin D, vitamin B12. These may be low, due to poor absorption. If so, you have to start with demulcents before you start with vitamins. Here are some good demulcent teas: http://amzn.to/2jhI2XY
4. Gut flora profile: This is a link to home test. LINK: http://amzn.to/2iWIBKe For more comprehensive bacterial profile you will likely need to check your local health provider.
I don’t think that probiotics or antioxidants would do much here. Your mucosa is being irritated either from the outside (hidden food irritants), or from the inside (heavy metals, pathogenic biofilm), or has hard time recuperating (lack of nutrients, lack of hormones). Depending what you find, you may look into restoring nutrient, coating with demulcents, boosting hormones, using systemic antimicrobials, or removing the source of heavy metals.
PS. Also consider pesticides in well water and air if you are surrounded by farm land. These damage good bacteria flora and boost systemic pathogens.
This will be a good start and you may be surprised what you find in your investigation. In the meantime get yourself an anti-microbial mix of essential oils and inhale while wearing it as a necklace.
Before you discredit vegan/vegetarian diets based on the physiology of Gorillas, you should consider that Gorillas eat RAW plants so of course they would need more bacteria in their gut to break down the RAW fiber and spend a large portion of their day chewing as the first line of digestion because they can’t break down their foods via cooking/heating. Nearly everything you mentioned as a ‘message to vegans’ is irrelevant because really, all of your points are in regards to eating RAW plants.
The article was very specific in addressing Vegans Allie, not vegetarians. Big difference nutritionally. It is easy enough to satisfy nutritional requirements with a vegetarian diet, but impossible with a vegan diet due to the lack of dairy and eggs.
As much as you seemingly missed the point, you actually made my point. Which is that Gorillas can not be compared to humans, something vegans like to do to justify veganism.
without getting into a debate/ would you be kind as to explain how Rich Roll, an elite athlete , who has been vegan for over 10 years could get to his status on a vegan diet?
or Patrik Baboumian, who is a heavylifter could lift 555 kg over 10 meters as a vegan?
these are just a few athletes that I could think of that are vegan .
or the countless stories of people on social media who talk about how much healthier they feel after going vegan, even showing blood results, cholesterol levels, showing themselves healthy
listen here. you are to go to youtube and research vegan doctors and get the facts from them, not this quack naturopath
eggs, dairy it’s all the same . they produce cancer along with meat. this doctor cannot live without her saturated fats so she has to find excuses on why she kills animals.
california is in the drought because it uses most of its water grows a lot of the pasture to feed these animals and then ship it out to asian countries , a lot of its water on livestock. go look up real facts instead of just looking for studies that will satisfy your gluttony
or how about we chain you up and just eat you ? since you’re made out of meat andessential vitamins/
I have looked up the “real facts” John, you are not only obnoxious, but likely crazy.
I would be glad to answer all your questions John:
1) I know little about Rich Roll, please provide me with all the variables of his diet and training recovery regiment. I would also need to see his physical assessment, including lab tests.
2) Patrik Baboumian uses steroids, he is not a vegan. He supposedly only follows a plant based diet. Again if you want a more detailed answer, I will need the same info as I requested above.
3) Food for thought: Are you familiar with the stats on how long the average convert maintains a vegan diet? Do you know why anyone discontinues their vegan efforts? Have you heard what happened to “superfit” vegan Bob Harper? Do you know why Bob Harper now follows a Mediterranean diet? We both think any diet that requires regular supplementation is flawed, what do you think? We both think supplements have their place for temporary use to get a person back on track, but not regular use. Supplements are highly processed many are of terrible quality, all are a tremendous waste of precious resources, which means they are an environmental burden? What do you think? Have you even ever considered any of these questions I have posed?
Andi, what’s this magical nutrient that your claiming can’t be found on a vegan diet? I promise you, I am a perfectly healthy vegan.
Hi Brayden, there is no “magical” nutrient. It’s long standing nutritional knowledge backed by 20 years of clinical, medical experience in health and wellness.
“Perfectly Healthy” that sounds like a fun challenge though. To quantify your statement, please elaborate on your criteria for “healthy”. Furthermore, how old are you and how long have you been following a vegan diet? Do you take any supplements or vegan targeted processed foods? Do you take any drugs (including illicit)? Can all your food choices be grown locally and can they be available year round? Do you have cheat days, i.e. how strict is your adherence?
Don’t just promise Brayden, prove it.
What do you think will happen to all farm animals if the whole world become Vegan?
Do you think they will be “put to pasture” to live happily the rest of their natural lives?
Who will pay for the expense of maintaining them?
Or will they be killed to make room for more soy plantations to supply vegan’s need for protein?
Do you really believe no animal dies to support your vegan lifestyle?
Soy plantation is the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon right now – when the forest is gone, so are the animals that live in that forest. The soy is GMO and large quantities of pesticide is sprayed over it, running off to rivers and lakes and killing fish.