Tag: Nutritional biology

While some people adopt a carnivorous diet, the biological evidence shows humans lack the necessary anatomical and physiological features to be true carnivores. Our bodies are, in fact, adapted for a diet that includes both plant and animal matter, which is why we aren't carnivores. This omnivorous nature is reflected in everything from our teeth to our digestive tract.

Research has confirmed that eggs, even unfertilized ones, contain various forms of RNA, including messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA (miRNA). This genetic material is not just a remnant, but a vital component that plays a key role in cellular processes for both embryonic development and potential nutritional impact.

Carnivores like cats and cheetahs have some of the shortest digestive tracts in the animal kingdom, a direct evolutionary response to their high-protein diet. This anatomical difference is a key factor in understanding how do carnivores survive without fiber, leveraging a highly specialized digestive system for efficient nutrient absorption from meat alone.

Over 90% of cotton and a significant portion of plant biomass is made of cellulose, the very substance that makes grass inedible for humans. While many animals can thrive on a diet of grass, the human digestive system is fundamentally different, making our grassy lawns and meadows nutritionally useless to us. This inability to digest grass reveals a crucial difference between human physiology and that of true herbivores.

Chyle, a milky fluid containing absorbed fats and lymph, carries essential nutrients from the small intestine to the bloodstream. This crucial bodily fluid is formed in the small intestine after a meal rich in fats and is primarily responsible for transporting lipids and fat-soluble vitamins that cannot be directly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Lactoferrin, a multifunctional glycoprotein, was first isolated from bovine milk in 1939. This vital protein is not just a simple component of milk but is an active agent composed of a complex structure that confers numerous health-promoting effects, including robust immune system support. Lactoferrin's rich composition is key to understanding its powerful and versatile role in human nutrition and health.