# Dietary necessity of acidity **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800 "2019-09-06T17:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800/21 "2019-09-07T18:21:33Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Most wild fruits that primates consume are not nearly as sweet as those we commonly eat, and many are quite sour. Colibri, you are the expert in this and I have a follow up question. In a BBC documentary it was shown that Humans have a bigger brains than other living primates because our ancestors starter scavenging for meat (and bone marrow ) and then hunting for it. I understand that other living primates also hunt but not in such frequency or organization. Since humans evolved to eat more meat than other living primates, is other primate’s tastes/digestive system still relevant to humans ? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800/22 "2019-09-08T01:49:22Z")
It’s not like we eat nothing but meat. We still like the same fruits as our more furry kin, too. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800/23 "2019-09-08T03:16:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s not like we eat nothing but meat. We still like the same fruits as our more furry kin, too. Maybe you are right, but I understood that the human brain consumes a lot more calories than other primates. So I assume we may have a faster metabolism to keep up with that calorie demand. Also not sure if other primates eat cereal grains. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800/24 "2019-09-08T03:53:29Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > Since humans evolved to eat more meat than other living primates, is other primate’s tastes/digestive system still relevant to humans ? Of course they are. While early humans became more carnivorous than our immediate ancestors, they (and we) still included fruit in the diet when it was available. We are omnivores, not carnivores. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800/25 "2019-09-08T15:09:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Hot peppers don’t cause tissue damage. They just fool the receptors that make you think you’re taking tissue damage. This is generally true, but overdosing on very hot peppers can cause serious reactions (or in theory, death) and at least one expert says capsaicin can indeed cause tissue damage. > **[Can Eating Too Much Spicy Food Kill You?](https://www.livescience.com/16556-spicy-food-fatal-chili-peppers.html)** > > Could eating too many spicy chili peppers kill you? Capsaicin, the spicy ingredient in chili peppers, can rev up your internal organs, but it would be hard to eat enough of the stuff to cause a serious problem. I’d reiterate that it’s not necessary (or possible) to eat acidic or alkaline foods in order to balance body pH, which is maintained within a very narrow range by biochemical processes i.e. in the kidneys and lungs). It’s likely that along with plants evolving to protect themselves by acidic/sour/nasty-tasting constituents, we have similarly evolved to in some instances tolerate or even enjoy those flavors. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800/26 "2019-09-08T15:41:31Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Of course they are. While early humans became more carnivorous than our immediate ancestors, they (and we) still included fruit in the diet when it was available. We are omnivores, not carnivores. Understand what you are saying. I am trying to reconcile the research I posted above to this understanding. Specifically : “One surprise was that, while the researchers classified humans as omnivores, human stomachs have the high acidity levels normally associated with scavengers. ” From : [Evolutionary link between diet, stomach acidity | ScienceDaily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150729155141.htm) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800/27 "2019-09-08T17:16:51Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > Understand what you are saying. I am trying to reconcile the research I posted above to this understanding. Specifically : > > “One surprise was that, while the researchers classified humans as omnivores, human stomachs have the high acidity levels normally associated with scavengers. ” > From : [Evolutionary link between diet, stomach acidity | ScienceDaily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150729155141.htm) You can’t eat a non-trivial amount of carrion without having some of the protective features of carrion eaters. We have tearing teeth AND crushing teeth. I see no conflict between “we are omnivores who need to eat fruits and vegetables for health” and “we have some adaptations to help us eat meat.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-necessity-of-acidity/839800.md?page=1)