# Diet/calorie absorption (slight TMI)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-calorie-absorption-slight-tmi/332830>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 26, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-calorie-absorption-slight-tmi/332830 "2005-11-26T19:48:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-calorie-absorption-slight-tmi/332830/1 "2005-11-26T19:48:19Z")

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So you eat a bowl of fresh or frozen peas (or corn) and the next day when you, uh, relieve yourself, you notice quite a few whole peas or corn in the bowl. This happens because you don’t masticate your food enough while eating.

My question is, when this happens has the body absorbed any calories or nutritional benefits from the vegetables at all?

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-calorie-absorption-slight-tmi/332830/2 "2005-11-26T20:07:13Z")

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No. The intestines can only absorb the final breakdown products - simple sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids - plus vitamins and minerals. When a food is not literally broken down by the body a negligible amount of nutrients is absorbed, if any.

[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327263) covers much of the same ground more thoroughly.