DOES MEAT EATING = A BIG BRAIN?NO, NO and NO! I’ve gotten involved in a discussion on another thread about meat eating and human brain development because there are some deluded people who have been conned into believing that eating meat was important in the development of the human brain. This hypothesis originated with anthropologist Katherine Milton (I despise the fact that we share a name!) who is IMO very well-educated, but extremely misguided on this topic. Katherine Milton’s theories are built on nothing but her speculation, and outmoded theories about animal protein being necessary for human nutrition. There is NO credible physiology or medical science supporting her views. In fact, current medical science argues AGAINST her assertions because if meat eating were a driving force in human development as a species, IT WOULD NOT CAUSE ILL HEALTH! All of the anthropologists who theorize that meat was central to human evolution have NO medical training nor do they have a sophisticated understanding of human health. Moreover, they don’t understand the negative impact eating animal flesh has on human health and physiology. The China Study showed that there was no “threshold effect” in terms of meat’s negative impact on our health. Meaning, that at EVERY incremental intake of animal flesh, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN DISEASE RISK! In other words, animal tissue at all levels of intake is toxic to human health! Aside from being inappropriately tendentious in its logic, arguing that meat eating leads to “brain expansion” is a STUPID, STUPID argument! Meat does not have more calories than carbohydrates, yet it has FEWER nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and has NO fiber which are all important for neural health and development. AND, since our bodies can’t store protein, whatever portion of the meat that is not used as “actual” protein is converted into “nutrient and fiber-poor” carbohydrate ANYWAY! So there’s no advantage to consuming huge amounts of protein and that’s a rather “bassackwards” way of getting your carbs! Furthermore, brain tissue is mostly fatty tissue! Therefore a “high protein” (i.e. meat-based) diet does NOTHING in particular to provoke or improve brain development! The largest brains in “absolute” size among terrestrial animals are found in elephants who are strict herbivores! So clearly, meat is NOT necessary for a “large” brain. Lastly, IF meat eating led to brain expansion, then the CARNIVORES would have the largest brains of all the land animals! But guess what, they don’t! That’s why your dog still drinks from the toilet!