Acharya Prashant addresses and dispels several myths regarding human consumption of meat. He states that while man has had the inclination and capacity to eat meat for a very long time, even when man was in the jungle, he was primarily a herbivore. This assertion is borne out by scientific analysis of fossils and other rigorous scientific evidence. For the hunter-gatherer, it was far easier to pluck a fruit than to chase, catch, and kill an animal. Therefore, it is a myth that our ancient forefathers were all carnivores; while they did eat meat, it was likely a sporadic occurrence. Man actually comes from a primarily vegetarian, herbivore background, and the argument that man has always been a meat-eater needs to be studied and refuted. The current splurge in meat-eating is a relatively recent phenomenon, not more than 200 years old. It emerged alongside industrialization and the popularization of the unscientific belief that only meat can provide essential nutrients like protein and calcium. This belief, though it became popular, was highly unscientific. In the last 30 to 50 years, as scientific knowledge has progressed, tons of scientific data have conclusively proven that not only are humans not historically prolific meat-eaters, but also that meat and milk consumption have a highly deleterious effect on the human body. Despite this knowledge, correcting this dietary mistake is difficult. The speaker explains that mankind took a wrong dietary turn about 200 years ago by opting for a primarily meat-based diet. Now, this scientific data is fighting against a huge mountain of habit and vested financial interests. The global meat industry and animal agriculture are some of the biggest industries on the planet, possessing significant financial and political power, as well as control over the media. The momentum of the last two centuries, combined with the power of these industries, makes it difficult for most people to correct their mistake.
