Elizabeth Allison (Mailbox, April 15) claims she is passing on "information" to let people decide on vegetarianism, but sadly her information is largely false.

Human digestive systems are not "in common" with herbivores.

We do not have large jaws for chewing, nor constantly-growing flat teeth for grinding vegetation.

Neither do we have a massive gut designed to get as much as possible out of energy-poor plant material.

Instead, we have teeth of different shapes, small guts and the ability to eat all sorts of things.

Humans are omnivorous, designed to eat both plants and meat, not favour one over the other. To do so is unhealthy. We need the nutrients both provide, be it vitamins, energy or protein.

If people become vegetarian because of religion, society, or simply because they do not like the taste of meat, I have no quarrel with them.

But saying vegetarianism is inherently better or healthier is wrong, even more so when false scientific claims are used to support it. A mixed, balanced diet of both meat and plant material will always be the best for us. We evolved this way, after all.

L Swift, Coalville.