Why is the only undigested food matter that comes out of our body vegetable matter?

Question

katy---if those are considered food in your house then I'm sorry to hear that :-)

Hi maggie :-)

iAm----I'm talking about "undigested" food. Food that comes out of your butt in the same form as when you swallowed them.

yourpast & bettee---can you elaborate?

mockingbird---it appears we aren't digesting some food, because we AREN'T.

a: the process of making food absorbable by dissolving it and breaking it down into simpler chemical compounds that occurs in the living body chiefly through the action of enzymes secreted into the alimentary canal

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/digestion

Answer 1

Well, we need indigestible fibers in order to keep our bowels moving along. Also, indigestible fibers (like cellulose) in plants and vegetables cannot feed the bacteria in our colons, so it helps minimize gas. There's a purpose for everything in food, otherwise it wouldn't exist.

EDIT: I just noticed it was you. Hi!

Answer 2

Actually, the only perfectly digested food is eggs. Everything else has a degree of inefficiency built into it. Herbivores cannot completely digest cellulose either (it's actually the bacteria in the rumen that digest part of it, not the animal itself. Without the bacteria, the herbivores would be shadows of their former selves).

Here's what I remember about protein digestibility (eggs = 100%)
dairy - 90%
meat - 75-80%
beans - 65-70%

In my opinion, the evolutionary argument is weak, both for and against veg*nism. I think bears (omnivores) can be perfectly healthy without meat - if they were smart enough to grow fields of chickpeas. Since they're not that smart, and you only get crappy sources of plant protein in a forest (roots, berries), they eat meat and need it. They're not as efficient (as deer for example) at extracting plant protein from low protein sources, and I doubt we are either. But, we do have access to high-protein, concentrated plant sources and this is the key point that pro-meaters miss out on. If you look at herbivorous animals that are unable to process cellulose (certain bird species), they all subsist on grains, seeds and nuts as a major part of their diet - and so do we.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is - there is a lot of adaptability and overlap built into Nature, and we are the most adaptable animals. Evolutionarily, we are tropical animals and would not live two hours without clothing and shelter in a cold climate.

I even remember reading about deer that ate fertilized finch eggs (!!!) because they were low on calcium and needed the shells. Some island, I forgot the name.

Answer 3

Why would we have a digestive tract and an anus if nothing were supposed to come out of it?

I'm not sure if evolutionarily speaking there is a reason why some high fiber foods aren't broken down in the digestive tract, but there is evidence supporting the fact that they are beneficial for colon health and overall bowel function. Also, I don't believe there have been any proven negative effects to high fiber diets. On the other hand, I don't think anyone can argue the negative effects of too much meat in the diet.

Answer 4

What you're seeing is due to the fiber content. Plant foods have varying amounts of insoluble fiber and, although it appears that you're not digesting your food, the fiber content is a good thing. Meat doesn't come out intact the other end because it has NO fiber content.

Answer 5

If animal products were 100% digestible, they wouldn't cause constipation.

Undigested plant matter is necessary to push stuff out in a timely manner.

Answer 6

the fat from meat and cooking oil, line the colon and the inside of the rectum and stomach preventing the body from digesting it all. I find if my food has too much grease it does this to me. but eating really spicy foods clears it out.
This has nothing to do with being vegan or vegetarian, it has to do with greasy food and meat.

Answer 7

Because of the fiber content of the vegetable

Answer 8

That's not always the way it works. :P

Answer 9

cuz we can't digest cellulose

Answer 10

I know, like, where are the erasers, coins, rocks...all those childhood treats?