Gorillas?

[King Salmon]

What's the deal with gorillas again? How much animal food do they eat? I know they eat a lot of plant food,but to be that strong I'm asuming they eat a fair amount of animal foods.Or maybe not? And how do they're digestive systems differ from ours?Thanks.

[kurite]

From what I've read wild gorillas very occasionaly eat meat. They do eat lots of insects but they are basically herbivores. They have a digestive tract that is much longer than ours which is needed to extract the nutrients from plant foods. Meat doesn't make a species stronger unless that species natural diet is comprised of meat. In other words gorillas can be one of the strongest animals on earth because they eat a plant based diet which they are designed to do.

[goodsamaritan]

What's the deal with gorillas again? How much animal food do they eat? I know they eat a lot of plant food,but to be that strong I'm asuming they eat a fair amount of animal foods.Or maybe not? And how do they're digestive systems differ from ours?Thanks.

Gorillas certainly don't look like us.
And I don't think we can breed with gorillas.
Unlike dogs who can breed with wolves.

Ergo humans are a different species and we have different requirements.

[TylerDurden]

I think they just eat insects but only because the insects are on the plants they eat.

[King Salmon]

Well it seems that gorillas and elephants make a strong case for powerful "vegetarians".I guess the proper digestive system is of upmost importance.
This is what I hear all the time from vegans and vegetarians when I say veggie/vegan is a weak diet:"what about gorillas?They're so powerful".
The problem I have is describing the difference between our digestive systems.With a cow for example,it's easy.A cow as a herbivore,has several stomach "compartments",which humans obviously don't have.But with gorillas,it doesn't seem that obvious.
Usually power would be associated with tigers and lions.As carnivores,their digestive systems are much shorter than ours.
So,other than the Price/Pottenger studies,how do I explain that we are meant to eat animal foods from a digestive system point of view as compared to a gorilla?

[needs_and_wants]

Theres an article here which touches on Gorilla digestion, suggesting they end up absorbing large amounts of fat from their diet due to the high amounts of bacteria in their gut, hence their size and power.

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/should-all-animals-eat-a-high-fat-low-carb-diet.html

[Sitting Coyote]

I think the question you raise is a red herring.

An animal's digestive system is designed to handle a certain diet.  Gorillas have a digestive system that is designed to process raw fruits and vegetables. I don't think they intentionally eat insects, but the insects they do eat are processed with the fruits and vegetables as best they can be.

We are not gorillas.  We are humans, Homo sapiens.  We are a different species, with a differently designed digestive system, and naturally do best on a different diet.

Inter-species comparisons are quite perilous as the basis for analogies.  I stay away from them.

[Brother]

Well it seems that gorillas and elephants make a strong case for powerful "vegetarians"

How many vegans complete in "worlds strongest man" competitions and does well? How many weightlifters, powerlifters, bodybuilders, fighters. You will find that there are a few, usually to prove some ridiculous point of "it can be done" (living on bread and water can also be done, but...lame point).

The worlds currently strongest man (probably the strongest man ever on record) eats:

Breakfast: Milk, cornflakes, eggs, youghurt, cheese.
Lunch: Fish, rice, vegetables, juice.
Dinner: Meat, potatoes.

http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/zydrunas_savickas.php

a shitload of fat and proteine.....ofcourse

edited: How about bodybuilders.

Elite Vegan bodybuilder vs. hobby carnivore bodybuilder

vegan BB'er Robert Cheeke. Good job with what he has to work with I reckon.


Kim Kold. Got some titles under his belt, but not enough to declare him elite of any sort


Compare with elite carnivores

Jay Cutler - Big on fish


Macrus Ruhl


and one of my own personal "heroes" nasser el sonbaty.


Can you spot the difference?

[ys]

all professional bodybuilders take anabolic steroids and other synthetic supplements.
bad choice of examples.

[goodsamaritan]

Those gorillas are scary. 

[Brother]

all professional bodybuilders take anabolic steroids and other synthetic supplements.
bad choice of examples.

No its not, because as you say ALL of them take it. This is regardless of diet. If you are elite bodybuilder, you do steroids. So it is interresting to see the difference that diet does, regardless of your medical supplements. If you want an all natural bodybuilder, that I know for a fact is a raw carnivore.

This is Randy Roach. he is 50 years old, eats raw meat, trains pro's and writes very interresting books

Those gorillas are scary.  

Isn't it remarkble how much like gorallias the human physique can get with diets heavy on proteine (BB got hit by the fat scare too, but its turning). And with help from synthetic testosterone. Mind you that our testosterone levels are dropping in freefall. you are as a matter of fact, less of a man than your granddad was. I think there was a time when man would look close to that if he worked out and ate right. I dont think the greeks was exagerating on their statues. I think they just chisseled what they saw in the arenas, and some of those men were well big.  

[miles]

I think they just eat insects but only because the insects are on the plants they eat.

Indeed. However they have to feed meat to gorillas in zoo's because there are no insects/whatever on the vegetables which they give them, and until they gave meat/milk/whatever to the gorillas, they had some problems. Weren't able to reproduce perhaps or something. That's what I heard anyway.

[raw]

we don't know the actual mystery of gorillas' bodies  . so far i agree with miles that the gorillas in zoo does look much weaker than the gorillas in the jungle.

[djr_81]

I don't think they intentionally eat insects, but the insects they do eat are processed with the fruits and vegetables as best they can be.

Like most other primates they groom each other and eat the bugs removed. Iwatched a group at the zoo last Friday and they really seemed to enjoy it.