The frugivore diet, consisting mainly of fruit and related produce, has been gaining popularity recently. Although eating meat is the norm in almost every culture and region, some people believe humans are biologically designed to be frugivores.

Buchholz K. Eating meat is the norm almost everywhere. Statistica. May 20, 2021.

Many vegans purport this belief; there are entire online communities dedicated to the expansion of veganism and promotion of the frugivore lifestyle. However, a 2021 study by Statistica revealed that 86% of the world’s population incorporates meat into their diet.

This poses the question: If nearly 90% of humans consume other animals, how could it be possible that so many of us are ignoring our biological design? Other animals eat what is advantageous to their genetic makeup, so are we truly meant to be frugivores if our species eats so much meat?

 

Why we may be frugivores

There are three major different dietary categories: carnivores (who strictly eat meat), herbivores (who strictly eat plants), and omnivores (who consume both plants and animals). Frugivores, a subcategory of herbivores, primarily thrive on fruit-like produce like roots, shoots, or nuts.

Physiology is key to understanding our needs. A 2002 study from Human Evolution noted that humans consume meat not because it’s physiologically optimal, but because it’s habitual—something done out of necessity at one point for our ancestors that remained in our diet for generations.

Researchers in this study compared gut measurements from humans and other primates to those of carnivores found that the human digestive tract is not specialized for meat-eating.

Hladik C, Pasquet P. The human adaptations to meat eating: a reappraisal.Human Evolution. 2002.

This study posits that our omnivorous behavior may have caused by a shift in food resources during our evolutionary process; a climate crisis in the late Miocene period likely altered nutrient availability for hominids, early predecessors of neanderthals. Thus, it can be inferred that the interpolation of meat into the human diet was not because we were designed to consume it; it happened out of necessity, and remained a staple in our diet as time progressed.

But what about our canine teeth? Humans share their sharp incisors with carnivores like lions and wolves. But as the authors of an Insider article wrote, “Contrary to popular belief, human canines are not for tearing and ripping meat. Instead, our ancestors used them to fight male rivals for mating rights.”

Lee N, Polan S. Why humans have sharp front teeth. Insider. Updated April 5, 2021.

Since we no longer fight with our teeth, our canines now serve as an aid to tear through fibrous or hard-to-digest food. However, the misconception regarding their purpose may be why meat has remained a heavy staple in most of our diets.

 

Is being a frugivore healthy?

This raises questions on what we should be eating, and what nutritionists should recommend to patients.

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables are indisputable. However, it’s easy to underestimate just how crucial they are to our health—especially since the food pyramid also prioritizes grains, dairy, and meat.

According to the American Society for Nutrition, suboptimal fruit consumption caused nearly 1.3 million deaths from stroke and more than 520,000 deaths from coronary heart disease in 2010.

Loranzo R, Naghavi M, Foreman K, et al. Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet. 2012;380(9859):2095–2128.

Those who eat fruit regularly (and in bulk) are less likely to be obese. Fruit has also been linked to reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

A 2013 study published in Nutrition Journal found that restricting fruit intake was not beneficial in patients with Type-2 Diabetes. This was significant, since many people with type-2 diabetes must monitor their sugar intake to keep their insulin balanced.

Millions of cardiovascular deaths attributed to not eating enough fruits and vegetables. American Society for Nutrition. June 8, 2019.

But can we still get all the nutrients we need from strictly eating fruit? A 2021 Current Developments in Nutrition study concluded that humans may actually benefit from a meat-heavy diet.

Lennerz B, Mey JT, Henn OH, et al. Behavioral characteristics and self-reported health status among 2029 adults consuming a “carnivore diet”. Curr Dev Nutr. 2021;5(12):nzab133.

Scientists tracked the health of 2,029 people (all ranging in age) on a carnivorous diet. At the end of the six-month period, the researchers noted the following:

Adults consuming a carnivore diet experienced few adverse effects, and instead reported health benefits and high satisfaction.

Most study participants reported improvements in their chronic medical conditions as well as their general health; energy, strength, sleep, memory, focus, and mental clarity all improved on a meat-based diet. This flies in the face of research suggesting enhancements in all of these categories on a diet that’s heavy in fruit.

 

Individual preference

The information from these conflicting studies obfuscates the physiological evidence that suggests we’re not meat eaters. Even so, the health benefits of fruit are undeniable, and should not be restricted when prompting or following a healthy diet program.

Those with underlying health issues or dietary restrictions like allergies, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or certain nutrient deficiencies may require larger or smaller amounts of fruit, meat, or other staples from the food pyramid into their diet. 

For example, patients with digestive tract issues or IBS may want to avoid red meat and consume easy-to-digest proteins like chicken and turkey and eat fruit sparingly, while other afflictions may be alleviated by a different amounts and types of these foods.

Stelluti AM. Irritable bowel syndrome and diet: the foods you can eat. GI Society. April 6, 2022.