[QUOTE=Alan Smithee]
I know we need certain micronutrients, most of which are in any multivitamin. (Anything missing can be gained from additional supplements. Biotin is too expensive to put a full dose in most multivitamins, so you’d probably need some of that.)
I know we need a certain number of calories (about 2000-2500 on average) from a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. We also need a certain amount of fiber.
Is that all? Is there anything else we need nutritionally?
If I made a mix of pulverized vitamin supplements, starch, powdered soy protein, soybean oil, and cellulose in the proper proportions, and consumed it every day with sufficient water, would I be missing anything besides my sanity? Would this be the ideal food, from a purely nutritional standpoint? If not, what would I need to add?
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[/QUOTE]
Humans need calories and water as the top two. One can get Calories from Carbs, proteins or fats. Then humans need: proteins (a well balanced slew of amino acids), fiber, “essential fatty acids” “EFA”, minerals and vitamins.
Besides Biotin, many multivites don’t have enough Calcium (Calcium is cheap but bulky), Magnesium, and sometimes Folic acid. Some few do have added EFA’s.
I am not sure if Soybean Oil contains all the nessesary EFA’s, or if Soy protein contains all the amino acids and properly balanced. I could find out.
There are also a host of other stuff like Anti-oxidents, Probiotics and such which althogh you might not need, they will make your life longer and healthier.
rocksolid’s (and I expect his user name has something to do with his lower colon
) diet might work with the proper cereals and breads. Some cereals and breads have enough protiens and fiber, and many are vitamin enriched. I suspect strongly he pours milk over his cereal, and perhaps drinks some Guiness or fruit juice too. He seems to need more protien, and a multivite wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’d make sure the cereal is decent whole-grain stuff, too, not empty calorie sugared stuff.
It has been calculated that one could survive on Guiness, as long as one also drank a glass of whole milk and another of OJ per day. I hope for gawds sake that the OJ has all the pulp, as you’d need fiber pretty badly.