# Could you live on meat and mushrooms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496 "2011-06-22T23:08:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/21 "2011-06-24T05:14:59Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > A pound of raw pork brain has over 100% of the RDA of vitamin C and only 570 Calories. Brain is also an excellent source of the essential fatty acids, while the fat found in the rest of the body is generally not. If you eat raw pork, you’ll have more problems than scurvy. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/22 "2011-06-24T05:25:47Z")
If there are pigs and mushrooms, there have to be other edible plants too. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/23 "2011-06-24T09:15:36Z")
correct me if i’m wrong: you can get along without any natural source or supplementary pill of vitamins but lack of either protein, carbohydrates or minerals will kill you. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/24 "2011-06-25T05:57:38Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > correct me if i’m wrong: you can get along without any natural source or supplementary pill of vitamins. Huh? Lack of vitamins will most certainly kill you in a variety of original ways, depending on the vitamin you’re lacking. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/25 "2011-06-26T02:55:48Z")
The trick is surviving without vitamins long enough to have viable offspring, thus ensuring the future of the non-veg species. The OP didn’t ask about quality of life, just survival. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/26 "2011-06-26T06:22:29Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > In survival courses people are taught not to eat mushrooms as the nutritional value is so low that you use up more energy looking for and picking them than you gain by eating them. But there’s also commercial mushroom production, so it’s certainly possible to profitably harvest mushrooms. What if the pigs are just eating the mushrooms. Could they live on those only and metabolize whatever stuff is in them we need but can’t get from the mushrooms directly? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/27 "2011-06-26T06:38:18Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > No fruit or veg? Everything in the list offers protein and minerals, some offers fat. But I find it hard to believe that anyone could live really long without carbs. Carbs are brain power. they’re also why we’re so damn fat. you don’t need to _eat_ carbs. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/28 "2011-06-26T15:10:45Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > If there are pigs and mushrooms, there have to be other edible plants too. My first thought, having breifly worked on a pig ranch, was. “what are they feeding the pigs?” ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/29 "2011-06-26T17:39:21Z")
I’m wondering if mushrooms have a lot of fiber. I know that instead of cellulose they have chitin, which is equally indigestible to humans. That could act as ruffage to push all that meat down the tubes. Also, fungi–I believe–are a good source of vitamin D. Mushrooms would grow in more inhospitable places than plants would, so they’d do better in a post-apoctolyptic scenario… They don’t need light, the kinds of substrates they need are more varied, and they can grow fast. They just need moisture. Heh, why even bother with mushrooms and just eat lichen, like reindeer? You can scrape them off of trees, dry them, and eat them like potato chips. That sounds like good eating! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/30 "2011-06-26T22:32:08Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’m wondering if mushrooms have a lot of fiber. I know that instead of cellulose they have chitin, which is equally indigestible to humans. That could act as ruffage to push all that meat down the tubes. > > Also, fungi–I believe–are a good source of vitamin D. > ! Here’s the wiki on mushrooms: > **[Mushroom | Edible mushrooms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushrooms#Edible_mushrooms)** > > Mushrooms are used extensively in cooking, in many cuisines (notably Chinese, Korean, European, and Japanese). Humans have valued them as food since antiquity. > Most mushrooms sold in supermarkets have been commercially grown on mushroom farms. The most common of these, Agaricus bisporus, is considered safe for most people to eat because it is grown in controlled, sterilized environments. Several varieties of A. bisporus are grown commercially, including whites, crimini, and portobello. Other cul... Note, no Vit D . However, there are some experiments that show that if mushrooms are grown under UV lite, they will produce Vit D. Not in the wild, however. Wiki doesn’t mention fiber, but raw mushrooms contain about 2 grams per serving of 5 smallish mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Weaver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Weaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weaver)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/31 "2011-06-27T01:49:05Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > My first thought, having breifly worked on a pig ranch, was. “what are they feeding the pigs?” I believe it was mushrooms and possibly yeast. > [@DrDeth](#): > > However, there are some experiments that show that if mushrooms are grown under UV lite, they will produce Vit D. Not in the wild, however. Regarding vitamin D, I read that you’d only have to expose mushrooms to UV for five minutes or so to get enough vitamin D that one serving would exceed the RDA. I’m not sure if there were UV lights in the book but I somewhat doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/32 "2011-06-27T02:22:28Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > In survival courses people are taught not to eat mushrooms as the nutritional value is so low that you use up more energy looking for and picking them than you gain by eating them. In fact, fresh mushrooms are loaded with protein. The protein is cooked out of the canned stuff. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/33 "2011-06-27T05:21:50Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > In fact, fresh mushrooms are loaded with protein. The protein is cooked out of the canned stuff. 2-3 grams per 100 grams. Not much at all. And it’s vitamins, not proteins that are cooked out. ---
**Author:** ![JZesbaugh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@JZesbaugh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JZesbaugh)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/34 "2011-06-27T05:24:50Z")
I don’t see why one could not, though it would be a risk of getting sick, besides mushrooms only sprout at certain times of the year. I think it would lead to a shorter life span. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/35 "2011-06-27T17:26:46Z")
> [@JZesbaugh](#): > > mushrooms only sprout at certain times of the year. That’s clearly not true of all mushrooms. You can buy fresh farmed mushrooms in the grocery store year-round, and they certainly don’t keep very long, so they must be harvested regularly. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/36 "2011-06-28T00:45:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > 2-3 grams per 100 grams. Not much at all. > > And it’s vitamins, not proteins that are cooked out. Sorry, I should have clarified. The amount varies depending on species but, per [world-of-mushrooms.org](http://world-of-mushrooms.org) the amount is “typically 20-30% crude protein as a percentage of dry matter” though true variation is much greater. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/37 "2011-06-28T02:29:39Z")
> [@Weaver](#): > > I believe it was mushrooms and possibly yeast. > > Regarding vitamin D, I read that you’d only have to expose mushrooms to UV for five minutes or so to get enough vitamin D that one serving would exceed the RDA. I’m not sure if there were UV lights in the book but I somewhat doubt it. Is the UV that comes down to Earth sufficient? We produce vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, so I’m wondering if it’s the same for mushrooms. But that then makes mushrooms unnecessary. If we have UV lights to make the mushrooms produce vitamin D, then we could just stand in the light for a few minutes and cut out the middle man. I’m guessing mushrooms could simply fill you up when you don’t have meat around. It’s better than eating nothing, although the risk of eating the wrong mushroom seems too high to make it a safe bet over the long run. I’m sticking to the lichens when the end times come, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/38 "2011-06-28T04:35:51Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Sorry, I should have clarified. The amount varies depending on species but, per [world-of-mushrooms.org](http://world-of-mushrooms.org) the amount is “typically 20-30% crude protein as a percentage of dry matter” though true variation is much greater. Once you are talking % of dried, you aren’t talking the same. Mushrooms are mostly water. Thus sure, dried mushrooms have more protein as a %. In any case, 2-3 grams per serving is very low protein. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/39 "2011-06-28T04:37:10Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Is the UV that comes down to Earth sufficient? We produce vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, so I’m wondering if it’s the same for mushrooms. Apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496/40 "2011-06-28T15:24:20Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I have to wonder about vitamin C…scurvy’s not a very fun way to die. I think I remember from one of these threads in the past that if you eat some raw organ meats, you can get enough vitamin C…but regular flesh just doesn’t have enough. In this vein, you can get a lot of minerals from livers, both beneficial and less so. Arctic explorers tried eating polar bear back in the day, and found that the liver was too toxic to eat. I imagine this is true of some other top carnivores as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-live-on-meat-and-mushrooms/586496.md?page=3)