Overview

• The University of Exeter study confirms vegetarians reject meat with core disgust, akin to omnivores' aversion to taboo substances like human flesh or feces.
• Disliked vegetables are rejected due to distaste, a simpler reaction based on undesirable taste, texture, or smell.
• Researchers suggest disgust toward meat may have evolved as a protective mechanism against undetectable pathogens in animal products.
• Practices like Veganuary, which involve deliberate meat avoidance, were found to amplify disgust responses over time.
• The study's findings open potential avenues for dietary interventions aimed at reducing meat consumption or increasing vegetable intake.