A standard western diet needs far more supplements to make up for the lack of fresh fruit-vegetables. It's not a matter of absolutes but of which diet gives the best balance. A vegetarian diet probaly fits that with a vegan diet a bit 'close to the edge'. On the other hand a standard western diet has fallen over the cliff!
Definition.
In the long term we (as a species) probably evolved to suit a diet of fruit, roots, &c with the odd admixture of shellfish. (from examination of vitamin requirements and evidence as to lifestyle 3-5 million years ago.
10 Reasons to go veggie 852Yes, some humans eat meat, others don't. Chimpanzees haven't died out, suggesting their meat eating isn't doing...
In the more recent past we have (some of us - we're still evolving) become accustomed to milk and cereals as part of that diet. Very few of us have yet become adapted biologically to a western diet (although it has strong social and drug dependence pressures).
Considering the current state of shellfish it's probably a good idea to miss them if their input can be obtained elsewhere (it can) - and so you get something close to a vegetarian-vegan diet with care on the amount of dairy-cereal input being the 'natural' diet for Homo sapiens.
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