Raw Meat

ELI5 - Why can other carnivores eat raw meat but humans are so prone to infections?

Carnivores like lions and wolves can eat raw meat because they’ve evolved specific defenses: for example, lions have stomach acid around pH 1.5, strong enough to kill many bacteria. Their short digestive tracts—about 3-6 times body length—move food through quickly, limiting bacterial growth. Their immune systems are also more robust against pathogens commonly found in raw meat. Still, they do get sick from parasites and infections, which contribute to injury and shorter lifespans in the wild.

Humans, in contrast, have weaker stomach acid (around pH 2–3 in fasting state) and much longer intestines—over 10 times body length—giving harmful microbes more time to multiply. We began cooking meat at least 400,000 years ago, which reduced disease risk and made digestion easier. Over time, we lost many raw-meat defenses, so today eating raw meat safely requires strict handling, storage, and high-quality cuts.

By Alex 7 days ago