To the best of my knowledge there has never been a
culture that has thrived as vegetarians.
All evidence (throughout the history of humankind)
shows Man to be an omnivore.
Depending mostly on climate conditions, the ratio
of plant to animal intake varies. In colder and
more severe environments, the meat in-take is usually
much larger. This primarily occurs for two reasons:
The reason humans have always been omnivores is
because they have to be omnivores. The genetic
make-up of the human is that of an omnivore. For
the human body to properly function, it must have
chemicals found in plants and animals. You could
say humans have a chemical addiction to being
omnivores. The USDA says, "Vegans eat only food of plant origin. Because animal products are the only food sources of vitamin B12,
vegans must supplement their diets with a source of this vitamin." Lack of B12 and amino acids results in neurological disorders.
(eg Brain Damage)
Certain proteins only found in animal protein are essential for good gut bacteria. One type of bacteria
can only be found in the milk or meat of cud chewing bovine.
Bone mineral density (BMD) is also determined by total protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and fatty acids that are found in animal products.
The study Risk of hip fracture in meat-eaters, pescatarians, and vegetarians: results from the UK Women's Cohort Study
found vegetarians have a 33% greater risk of hip fractures.
Because of "survival of the fittest," there has never
been a culture of herbivores. A human that tries to
become a herbivore will cause physical damage to their
neurological (and other) systems. A culture of
herbivores would eventually wipe itself out.
The easier the catch, the more omnivorous' cultures will
thrive. Fishing tribes are often good examples of
what plentiful meat can do to better society.
USDA (United Stated Department of Agriculture) Vegetarian Advice
1) plants won't grow. You can't eat what isn't there.
(Ask an Eskimo. He'll know.)
2) the concentration of nutrients is much higher
in meat than in vegetables. This means you can
harvest less tonnage of food. It also means the
culture can have less of an impact on the environment
(then if they cut their meat in-take and became
more herbivore-like. This holds true for "wild" animals, such as fish.
Domestic animals such as cattle are very land intensive. Beef is one of the largest contributors to climate change.)
Brain Damage
Vegetarians Are Less Healthy