why do corn kernels not "digest"

[guyver01]

Without the disgusting details.... why do corn kernels not digest..... why do they just ... pass right thru... or so it would seem.

 

[PsychoAndy]

high fiber content?

 

[Beau]

Probably has something to do with the skin on the kernal being hard to digest. Bell peppers are the same way. Maybe you should try chewing your food before you swallow

 

[vi edit]

Lots of starch. Body can't break it down. (or high in fiber as Andy said)

At least that's my guess.

 

[Shelly21]

This one's easy, I learned this in biology.

Cellulous(sp?) is what human can not digest. And corn contains a lot of that.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: Shelly21
This one's easy, I learned this in biology.

Cellulous(sp?) is what human can not digest. And corn contains a lot of that.

damn... so you mean i'm just eating corn for the "fun of it"???? lol...

good thing it's creamed corn... i could live forever on that stuff..

 

[Dead3ye]

I had a buddy when I was in the army that didn't know corn didn't digest. I guess he never turned around and looked. Anyway, after this was brought to his attention, he never ate corn again. Must've really disgusted him. I thought his reaction to this news was hilarious. It was like "OH MY GOD!!! You're kidding, right?!"

 

[Shelly21]

Well, the solid part is mostly undigestable. The juice is what you can get from corn.

Cellulose is a main part of most veggies... People don't have the enzyme needed to break that down like Horses.
This is a biological reason why we should not be vegetarians. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

 

[smp]

Originally posted by: Shelly21
Well, the solid part is mostly undigestable. The juice is what you can get from corn. Cellulose is a main part of most veggies... People don't have the enzyme needed to break that down like Horses. This is a biological reason why we should not be vegetarians. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Yes we should eat horses. The starchy stuff inside gets digested .... ever heard of the saying "corn fed white boy"? I think it means a big country boy.

 

[silverpig]

The reason is because kernels of corn are basically the corn plant's seeds. Like many plants, they make their seeds attractive to eat, but difficult to digest so animals will eat them, walk somewhere else, and then, erm, "deposit" them somewhere else in a pile of "fertilizer".

Look at other fruits you eat too. Strawberries for example. The fleshy part tastes great, and digests well, but the little seeds pass right on through.

 

[Soulbane]

The outter coating is made of a material (I forget exactly what they call it in botany) that the human enzymes cannot break down. So it "Passes thru".

 

[pyonir]

easy: because corn kernels are undigestable.

 

[Mustangrrl]

Originally posted by: Soulbane
The outter coating is made of a material (I forget exactly what they call it in botany) that the human enzymes cannot break down. So it "Passes thru".

That's all it is, just the outer coating. The actual meaty part of the kernel can be digested by animals.
~robyn

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: Shelly21
This one's easy, I learned this in biology.

Cellulous(sp?) is what human can not digest. And corn contains a lot of that.

YUP

 

[Corn]

Because we're tough.

 

[DigDug]

Cow's however can digiest it. That's why they eat grass and stuff.

 

[Dead3ye]

Originally posted by: Corn
Because we're tough.

What a perfect post for you to respond in! Great.

 

[PsychoAndy]

Originally posted by: Soulbane
The outter coating is made of a material (I forget exactly what they call it in botany).

would that be a husk you speak of?

 

[KEV1N]

I've always known it, but now that I think of it, it's truly ingenious the way that fruits are made to be tasty and animals gain the benefit of eating a tasty fruit, but in fact the plant is just using the animal to spread its seeds. Amazing!