Wouldn't the protein within the grass's plant cells have protein which is only accessible with the cellulose broken down? Why cant humans eat grass ? Ask your question. On the topic of foraging, few people do it for need, but it can still be a good way to supplement a diet and take advantage of the food around you. We humans do not have such stomachs. Source: quora.com. Okay no sources but years ago when I was studying this I got the impression was that we can not eat grass because it has pathogens that our stomach can not deal with, whereas cows are well-equipped to deal with it. Rice and beans are seeds/legumes. Lv 4. 15 points Why cant humans eat grass ? We don’t have any of these symbiont bacteria, so we can’t digest the cellulose in grass. Welcome to r/ScientificNutrition. and contain protein. Hi all, this is my first post here. - 14266361 1. 3 comments. Archived. No macroscopic animals digest cellulose on their own. Most grass eating animals have a complex gut that involves a fermentation stage where they grow bacteria which can break down the cellulose into sugars which can be absorbed. Log in. Parts of it. Humans lack the enzymes and digestive fauna to effectively break down grass, so it would be highly inefficient, and would probably result in … Sure you can! The science is still hazy—but research is giving us an idea of what weed does to the body. or just chewing grass as cats do. share. A2A Grass ,as such cannot be eaten in its raw form as its difficult to digest. Wheat, barley, rice, corn, etc, are all grasses. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Plants don’t provide a lot of protein for humans or animals. Cows eat grass, doesn't mean you can! Wheat, oats, barley, corn, and other grains are cereals, part of the broad family of grasses. Make sure to like ,share and subscribe. its hard for humans to digest though. What the cows are digesting are the microbes.How Cows Get Protein. I wouldn’t advise chewing it since grass contains silica that wears down teeth. As for grasses, you eat the seeds of them, wheat, oats, corn, rice. Just a reminder that every link submission must have a summary in the comment section, and every top level comment must provide sources to back up any claims. Log in. Where does the protein in the mother's milk come from? 16 Answers. 0 0. Cookies help us deliver our Services. ELI5: Why don't humans eat grass like we do other vegetables? They have several stomachs and they ferment the grass before it gets to their main digestive system. You have probably seen cows contentedly enjoying a nice mouthful of grass. Press J to jump to the feed. But it doesn't do them any good because they can't digest it. There are some places in developing countries where severe drought (due to El Nino last year) has caused a severe shortage of food and money, forcing people to eat bread made by ground wild grass. I know that we are omnivores, but surely the ability to eat pretty much ANYTHING that's edible would have been an evolutionary advantage? Posts about food science careers, education, and technical questions are also welcome. Even in silage not all the cellulose is fermented. Ya that's what I mean. Taste would be questionable, but the nutrients could be extracted. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Mediterranean diet w/ lot of leafy greens. We aren’t designed to break down the cellulose in grass to get out the nutriments. 2. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Corn, wheat, rice, etc are all grass that we eat regularly. This is a long process and is why cows have 5 stomachs, and bring the grass back up to chew it a second time (chewing the cud) and rabbits eat their own droppings. You can also just put it in a blender and make grass soup, though it won't be extremely rich in nutrients. That means grass doesn't break down in our guts. Was wondering if humans can do this and get protein from grass, the way herbivores do. Cows and other mammals can eat grass because they have special bacteria living in their stomachs called symbiont bacteria. Favourite answer. If we eat a lot of it, we'll most likely vomit or have diarrhea. Don’t the bacteria create short chain fatty acids that are then metabolised by the cow? This video by theknowledgeablefamily tells you whether humans can eat grass or not? Bamboo (shoots) is also a grass. Bamboo (shoots) is also a grass. got me thinking. Cows and other mammals can eat grass because they have special bacteria living in their stomachs called symbiont bacteria. Explained. report. People can actually eat grass. I am not sure the human race could survive on the planet without eating grass. That way cows can get energy from grass. 1. It seems so weird that we eat lettuce and celery but not grass. But that's only because they can digest the grass much better than we can. Join now. Please read our Posting Guidelines before you contribute to this submission. The first is that human stomachs have difficulty digesting raw leaves and grasses. Hi all, this is my first post here. It's not toxic or anything. Basically, there are grasses everywhere you go; and although it’s a well-known fact that humans can live well and thrive on a totally vegetarian diet, eating grass unfortunately wouldn’t do much for us. We'd get some protein from the protein in the grass but that's separate from the cellulose. Right, seeds are very different from grass itself -- which humans cannot derive nutritional value from. Was wondering if humans can do this and get protein from grass, the way herbivores do. As for humans eating grass, we are not multi-gastric (or in theory large-gutted). In regard to protein, this is ubiquitous in grasses. Plus, eating grass is not good for human teeth. 4 years ago. Welcome to r/ScientificNutrition! Why can’t humans digest grass, if cows, goats and sheep can? These symbionts can break the bond in cellulose for the animal its living in. The only way humans could digest grass would be to get something else that can digest cellulose to eat it first- this is what cows do. If you left Why can't humans eat grass? Cows and sheep are ruminating animals. it would be better if you blended it to make soup then it could be digested easily. Then, they would kill it, get that stuff out of the stomach and eat it. ELI5: Why don't humans eat grass like we do other vegetables? My biology teacher was explaining today that lactose intolerant folks can take pills which allow them to properly digest lactose. The cool rainy months bring forth lots of young tender grasses. At a minimum, we'll just pass it out undigested. 100% Upvoted. Relevance. Join now. Sort by. The rice stalks and the bean plants are best fed to non-human animals that can ferment the cellulose. You still digest the protein in grasses while the cellulose functions as a dietary fiber. In fact, grass seeds constitute the primary staple of the diet of most humans around the world. Close. The edible grasses excellent for human consumption are generally cereal grain grasses, for example wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa grass, as well as oat grass. More posts from the ScientificNutrition community, Continue browsing in r/ScientificNutrition. In principle, people can eat grass; it is non-toxic and edible. Is it good for us? Rice and beans are seeds/legumes. Humans can eat grass although the general race dislikes it. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Can humans eat and process grass? However there are better substrates than grass, like grass seed for example to make mushrooms. can humans eat grass? I thought the protein in grasses is locked behind the cellulose walls. is there any nutritional content in grass humans can use? Can humans eat and process grass? Find out 9 ways marijuana could be influencing your health. I admit, I've never gone out to specifically try to eat grass. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. level 2. Young greens are preferred as far as I can tell. Wheat, barley, rice, corn, etc, are all grasses. This thread is archived. save. Humans don’t. Close. You can get powdered wheatgrass o amazon, lots of people take it. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Grass contains a lot of silica, the main ingredient in many rocks including quartz and sandstone. In fact, you probably eat parts of grass on a daily basis. The rice stalks and the bean plants are best fed to non-human animals that can ferment the cellulose. Answer Save. No idea if it does anything beneficial but its definitely digestible. Unlike humans, cows are ruminants and have four stomach chambers enabling them to digest grass. Can I eat the other parts of the grass … Humans lack the enzyme necessary to digest cellulose, which makes up the cell walls of plants. There are two main problems with a grass diet. Posted by 2 years ago. As a practical food source, however, your lawn leaves a lot to be desired. I'm unaware of people eating grass other than as a means of survival in dire circumstances. Archived. - … Is that not right? Grass is very fibrous, and has little nutrient value. 1 decade ago. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. 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