12 Reasons Why Can Animals Eat Raw Meat

People ask why can animals eat raw meat and humans can’t, then for many of us, the sight of raw meat sends our stomachs churning.

But for some animals, including some humans, raw meat is an easy meal so why can animals eat raw meat, let’s find out together.

Animals don’t have to cook their meat to kill any parasites or bacteria, but humans do.

There are lots of health benefits to raw meat for animals including the natural digestive enzymes found in raw meat.

So, why can animals eat raw meat? Animals can eat raw meat because they have a special set of acids in their stomach that aids the digestion of raw meat, and special enzymes in their digestive system that breaks down raw meat and releases nutrients.

Over time animals have developed stronger immune systems in order to process the bacteria and enzymes found in raw meat.

Do you think red meat can cause constipation? Find out here, if red meat can cause constipation.

What is Raw Meat?

Raw meat can be generally referred to as any type of uncooked muscle tissue of an animal that can be used for food.

In all meat production industries, the term ‘meat’ refers specifically to mammalian flesh, while the words ‘poultry’ and ‘seafood’ are used to differentiate between the tissue of birds and aquatic creatures.

12 reasons why can animals eat raw meat

Do you ever wonder why some animals eat raw meat and others don’t?

Why scientists have been scratching their heads for years, there may be several reasons why.

Animals have a good amount of digestive enzymes

The major reason why animals can eat raw meat is that the animal stomach is filled with loads of good digestive enzymes that allow the digestion of raw meat and its components.

According to Healthline, The are three main proteolytic enzymes produced naturally in the digestive system which are pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin.

The animal body produces them to help break down dietary proteins like meat, eggs, and fish into smaller fragments called amino acids.

The enzymes present in animals can easily adjust and digest most types of raw meat, which is why animals can eat raw meat.

Animals can eat raw meat because they have stronger stomach acid that helps digest their food.

Animals have strong immune systems

Most animals evolve over time and grow stronger immune system that is resistant to most bacteria pathogens.

For example, a newly born animal will stick to the mother’s breast milk till a certain age when its system is stronger to handle forms of food like raw meat.

On the flip side, younger animals are more prone to infections than the bigger animal, this is because the bigger animals have become immune over time.

Protein is the main attraction

Most animals don’t do well with carbohydrates because of the long molecular weight and the protein is easy for them to digest.

Most animals don’t have the ability to digest the tough muscle tissue in raw meat and tend to only eat bones and liver.

These organs are so tender that bones are torn and meat is squeezed from the bone. And the liver contains very little fat, so it’s not a necessity.

As we know, meat is the major source of protein and animals live better with protein than carbohydrates, this is because of the way their body system was designed by nature.

So animals live only on raw meat, for example, lions and wild dogs, still carry out their day-to-day activities.

Again, animals have special enzymes in their system that convert this injected protein to energy, that why see most animals live on raw meat alone.

Remember that high-quality protein sources, such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products, contain all nine of the essential amino acids.

To protect themselves

Animals that consume raw meat don’t feel the need to wear a fur coats to protect them from the elements.

So, they eat raw meat to provide the nutrients that their fur and scales cannot provide.

This raw meat provides animals with all the required nutrients to protect themselves, again most animals are very territorial and won’t want other animals around.

Just like tigers who believe they should live alone in their jungle, they kill every animal that comes around, most times they kill even when they are not hungry.

Animals have strong acids in their stomach

Most times you see that animals carry live worms in their stomach, and it will not harm them, but when humans get in touch with these worms it becomes a problem.

The acid content of the animal stomach inhibits the activities of most bacteria pathogens and most times converts them to food.

Wild animals who eat raw meat have stronger acids in their stomach that keeps them safe from all forms of microorganism that is harmful.

Spongy tissue

Although other animals like cats and dogs that eat cooked food have a high degree of fat in their digestive tract.

Animals that only eat raw meat, especially species that eat only liver or the like, don’t have as much fat in their system as animals that eat other types of meat.

The problem here is that excessive fat is the most common cause of obesity in animals.

Due to endurance

Although mammals like cows, goats, and rabbits can survive longer than humans, not many species in the animal kingdom can outrun humans.

So they eat raw meat because it helps them stay in shape and allows them to eat more in one sitting.

In simple terms, hunger forces most animals to eat raw meat, they can no longer endure hunger, they just look for anything to eat.

An example of this is seen in Indoor cats when they hunt a mouse and eat it because they are hungry and can’t wait any longer for their owners to come home.

The appearance of raw meat

Animals eat raw meat because the flesh is soft and meatier and because it’s easier for them to swallow.

The appearance of meat makes it easier for animals to eat raw meat, the sight of meat alone makes some animals happy.

Meat is very soft and easy for animals to eat, even younger animals can feed on meat because it is easy for them to eat and swallow.

It is nature’s design

Take it or leave it, you can’t fight nature at any point, most animals have been designed by nature to feed on raw meat (carnivorous animals).

Almost all wild animals have been designed by nature to feed on meat and there is nothing that can change that.

So when you ask why can animals eat raw meat, you can also answer yourself by saying…oh maybe nature made it so!

You can’t tell what’s in it

The meat that humans like to eat tends to be dark brown or red, while animals that eat raw meat tend to eat meat that has a lighter color and more connective tissue.

The former makes it easier to see what is in the meat, and the latter makes it easier to eat it.

It’s tasty and nutritious

Most of the time, it is best to avoid cooking meat because of the harmful chemicals used in the process that can contaminate your food.

So, next time you’re shopping for raw meat for your dog or cat, just remember the reasons above.

Meat is loaded with lots of nutrients that both humans and animals need t

Animals have no other choice

Just like humans, sometimes in life, you will have no choice but to carry out a certain step or activity.

Most animals in the wild have no other better offer or choice of food than raw meat, some animals are even forced to feed on rotten meat.

To survive in the wild, animals eat all things and food like raw meat just to stay alive not because they love it but because it’s the way forward.

Benefits raw meat

Here are some benefits of raw meat which are as follows:

Raw meat is usually a safer alternative to eating the undercooked meat.

While some may shy away from consuming the blood of a living creature, or even biting into a raw steak, a few cultures enjoy this delicacy.

If you are not sure if the meat has been salted, chances are it hasn’t.

But if you buy a piece of raw meat at a butcher’s counter, chances are that it has been salted to prevent bacteria growth.

Raw meat is rich in protein and very low in calories.

It is also a good source of iron. However, be careful with the diet that you follow in order to avoid the common causes of iron deficiency – severe menstrual cramps, insufficient food intake, excessive weight gain, irregular exercise, and the like.

Raw meat contains enzymes and vitamins that aid digestion.

But be careful not to consume too much raw meat or else you may suffer from food poisoning.

Take only a small bit of raw meat, preferably cooked with an acid like vinegar, lemon, or lime to aid the digestion process.

Raw meat gives you the benefits of probiotics in a form of bacteria.

Probiotics are a type of bacteria that help in maintaining the intestinal tract and maintain good health.

Many studies suggest that raw meat provides the essential and necessary amount of probiotics.

Hence, it is advisable to eat raw meat more often than cooked.

Raw meat helps in keeping one’s skin and hair healthy.

The constant exposure to the weather keeps the skin and hair healthy because raw meat is naturally rich in vitamins A and D.

It is very healthy for your hair, nails, and teeth.

Raw meat is rich in minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, and many other important minerals. This is why one should eat more raw meat on a daily basis.

Raw meat is said to help in weight loss.

Since the bacteria in raw meat break down the fats in the meat, it makes you feel fuller and burns the calories faster. Eating raw meat also reduces the chances of getting diseases like cancer.

Other benefits of raw meat.

Raw meat is great for those who are suffering from constipation.

Raw meat is one of the best sources of Vitamin B1 which helps in digestion and other body functions.

Raw meat contains higher quantities of iron. It also contains higher amounts of potassium and fiber.

It is very important to drink more water while consuming raw meat as it helps in removing toxins from the body.

Raw meat helps in having a good, healthy diet, and it is rich in many vitamins and minerals. Hence, eat more raw meat.

Why can’t humans eat raw meat?

Humans can’t eat raw meat because the human digestive system can not properly digest all the components of raw meat, as things have changed over time. And raw meat is tougher than cooked meat.

Raw meat is difficult to source safely because it carries bacteria that are not killed by cooking.

In fact, there are many bacteria that are potentially hazardous to humans.

These bacteria can cause illness, but in the case of meat, they may also cause illness or death.

A few of these bacteria are E. coli, salmonella, and listeria.

E. coli, in particular, has been well documented and is the primary cause of foodborne illness outbreaks.

According to the CDC, most people infected with E. coli develop symptoms within a few days, and most recover without treatment.

However, the illness can be deadly for infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

About 1 million cases of E. coli are reported in the United States each year, and there are about 23,000 cases of illness and at least 2,000 deaths caused by E. coli in the United States each year.

Because raw meat carries such a risk, many people choose to buy prepackaged or cooked food to avoid any risk of foodborne illness.

However, this does not help eliminate the risk of E. coli from raw meat.

Therefore, here are some reasons why humans can’t eat raw meat;

• Raw meat may contain harmful Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter that can cause food poisoning.
• Raw meat is tougher to digest than cooked softened meat.
• You can get sick from undercooked meat—try eating any uncooked animal
• It could become infected—try washing your hands well after handling meat
• Raw meat can be contaminated with bacteria that may cause food poisoning
• Raw meat can contain parasites and other pathogens
• Risks of E. coli infection increase with undercooked meat.

So if you want to eat meat, always cook it to at least 165 °F.

References:

• Healthline
• WebMD
• Menshealth