what are the long term effects of eating wood?

Question

my friend has a strange habit of eating toothpicks and chopsticks and wood.. of sorts.. and thinks it's funny..
i'm wondering what the long term effects could be on her if she digests the wood enough?

Answer 1

I think your friend is definately lacking something in his/her diet. They need to see a doc.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

This could be very dangerous. Wood is tough stuff and can not be digested at all. This could potentially block her large intestines resulting in the need for surgery, or not empty from her stomach resulting in over production of acid and possibly cause ulcers. Tell her to stop now and see her doctor. If she feels obsessive about eating it it could be "pica" which is where people want to eat non-food stuffs and is usually a result of lacking certain minerals in the diet.

Answer 4

This can't be good for him since our bodies are not designed to digest wood. I am sure it is not harmful if he doesn't do it often but, I am sure it would cause him some problems if he ate a lot of them. It would probably start with a bad case of diarrhea.

Answer 5

A pain in the a$$?!?!?

Seriously, wood is fiber and I don't think it would cause and harm unless maybe he/she punctures something with a sharp piece.

Back in the 70's a bread manufacturer actually put wood in the dough and called it a high fiber bread. Eating wood was not a popular notion for people and it failed.

Answer 6

Em ainee ... And i Have a pica. I eat matches removing head ... And em doing this for more than 5 years
..i feel little pain sometimes ... But thats a good fiber source i believe ... B'cox i dont suffer from constipation . And my food totally gets digested having .... Due to this habit ... But i really wannA get rid of this pica ...

Answer 7

I asked your question on yet another internet site and this is the respond I won. i circulate to maintain a Thiamine shot handy as a results of respond. Ruth this is her respond... i'm on digest mode so desire this gets to you quickly sufficient. i'm no longer a vet yet a horse breeder and livestock breeder additionally with the aid of the years. We had countless situations of Bracken Fern poisoning years in the past and this is deadly yet in addition may be taken care of.. It motives a Thiamine deficiency whilst eaten over a volume of time and the lack of Thiamine motives neurological indicators and would convey approximately dying if no longer taken care of in time. We had a calf thoroughly 'down', frothing on the mouth, seizing and actual taking this is final breaths. whilst the vet gave it a shot of Thiamine it have been given up and walked off interior one million/2 an hour. He left us yet another shot and later that particular same summer season we chanced on a similar calf down back and doing a similar element, seizing, slobbering and incredibly alive. We ran to the refrigerator, have been given the shot, gave it to him and back he recovered. After learning Bracken Fern I examine that it motives an 'habit' resembling nicotine, wherein the animal starts off eating it and then maintains to seek for it out as a results of yearning of the habit. this is why in basic terms one animal in a herd of in simple terms approximately one hundred animals became into the only one to be laid low with it. i chanced on the Bracken Fern turning out to be in shady factors alongside of the creek banks and interior the woods. (i'm in Missouri so do no longer understand what vegetation you have on your section). It seems a lot like the Ferns which you notice in marvelous baskets for adornment. As for Oak, it too may be poisonous in large quantities. maximum horses do no longer consume too a lot of it in the event that they have get entry to to different extra palatable feed even though it does incorporate tannins which is often poisonous. desire this facilitates you out some. Ask your vet approximately having the Thiamine shot handy.

Answer 8

She might get splinters in her throat and digestive tract, and they could get infected. Humans aren't supposed to eat wood...

Answer 9

Well, I imagine pooping could be a bit of an adventure if she's getting too much fiber. Other than that, nothing to worry about.

Answer 10

Eule Gibbons was a naturalist who used to eat wood. I hear he died of splinters.

Answer 11

Beavers have no problem with it. I hear they eat wood. Maybe I'm wrong, but seems to me that if beavers eat wood and nothing happens to them, then nothing should happen to her.