# Are there any foods that are completely dissolved and absorbed by the intestines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708 "2002-12-10T04:40:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alietta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecb155/32.png) [@Alietta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alietta)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/1 "2002-12-10T04:40:26Z")
Bascially are there any foods that won’t produce feces in the intestines? ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/2 "2002-12-10T05:23:19Z")
Local ice company labels its bags with the admonition “Packaged Ice is a food!” Is rock candy a food? Is Broth a food? There are countless other consumables that may or not fit your definition of “food”. BTW, just about **any** food, from Aardvark to Zwieback, eaten in sufficiently small quantities, would not produce feces if the eater were otherwise fasting. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/3 "2002-12-10T06:22:37Z")
I once read that bananas are the most easily digested food (That’s why it’s part of the BRAT diet). But it still contains some fiber, so you’re still poopin’. How about plain sugar? Try it and let us know. HA HA. BTW, even without food, you’re still poopin’. Poop isn’t just from the food you’ve eaten. It’s also where most of the dead cells that your body must eliminate go. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/4 "2002-12-10T07:19:55Z")
Why would this be a good thing? And why are so many people obsessed with it? [Totally efficient diet w/no waste?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=138232) [the perfect food – question for doctors](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134721) ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/5 "2002-12-10T11:05:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fear Itself \* > \*\*Why would this be a good thing? And why are so many people obsessed with it? > > [Totally efficient diet w/no waste?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=138232) > > [the perfect food – question for doctors](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134721) \*\* i think the link makes it clear we have a digestive tract and a sewerage system because it is the natural way to live when you short cut something it doesnt function so well when you do need it. well oiled machinery springs to mind…🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/6 "2002-12-10T14:29:07Z")
[Low fibre low residue diets](http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&num=10&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=low+residue+diet&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=off) From this thread: [never poop again! (??)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=139016&highlight=astronaut) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/7 "2002-12-10T14:34:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by x-ray vision \* > \*\* It’s also where most of the dead cells that your body must eliminate go. \*\* Um, actually not. Only cells sloughed off or secreted by the GI tract end up in the GI tract. ---
**Author:** ![Young\_Mr.Grace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e47c2d/32.png) [@Young\_Mr.Grace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Young_Mr.Grace)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/8 "2002-12-10T15:30:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Um, actually not. Only cells sloughed off or secreted by the GI tract end up in the GI tract. \*\* Cecil wrote about this: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_381.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_381.html) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foods-that-are-completely-dissolved-and-absorbed-by-the-intestines/141708/9 "2002-12-10T15:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Young Mr. Grace \* > \*\*Cecil wrote about this: > > [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_381.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_381.html) \*\* Yes, red blood cell breakdown products are secreted via the liver, which is an integral part of the GI tract.