# Living on vitamins and water only - how long? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283 "2004-08-10T23:56:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/1 "2004-08-10T23:56:09Z")
You’ve probably read the [horrors of trying to live on bread alone](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_209.html). How long could a healthy adult live on water and vitamins only? I’m talking the minimum daily requirements and as much water as you’d want. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/2 "2004-08-11T02:33:19Z")
This should have been posted in GD shouldn’t it? The answer really depends on how fat you start out with. An anorexic obviously not going to live as long as an obese person (finally a win for the obese! Go you.) [This](http://64.106.220.190/fasting_book/Fasting%20_vs_starvation.htm) link gives an estimate that a normal person can live about 50 - 75 days without food. The source looks a little sketchy but I think the estimate sounds about right and jibes with what I have read and heard but cannot cite. Of course, that only applies to unenlighten people. [Breatharians](http://www.breatharian.com/breatharianism2.htm) do not have to eat at all unless they choose to. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/3 "2004-08-11T02:34:20Z")
I meant General Questions in the first sentence, not GD. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/4 "2004-08-11T02:37:50Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I meant General Questions in the first sentence, not GD. I thought about putting it there, but I ddidn’t if some one would be to give a definitive answer. Obviously, this is not something that would have vounteers lining up at the door! ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/5 "2004-08-11T04:29:06Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Of course, that only applies to unenlighten people. [Breatharians](http://www.breatharian.com/breatharianism2.htm) do not have to eat at all unless they choose to. :reads link: Gimme a B! Gimme another B! Gimme another B! Gimme \*another \*B! Gimme \*another \*B! What’s that spell? B-B-B-B-B-B-B… ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/6 "2004-08-11T16:36:58Z")
There seems to be a commmon misconception that vitamins are the magical ingredients that the body _really_ needs in food. Vitamins don’t provide you with energy. You’re still going to need protein, fat, carbs and fibre before long. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/7 "2004-08-11T18:58:12Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > How long could a healthy adult live on water and vitamins only? It probably depends on how generously you are defining vitamins. If you included one of those mix-with-water protein drink things, you could live for quite a while. A friend of mine was on a supervised fast diet for several months. She got some amount of the powder and all water she wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/8 "2004-08-11T20:35:43Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > There seems to be a commmon misconception that vitamins are the magical ingredients that the body _really_ needs in food. > > Vitamins don’t provide you with energy. You’re still going to need protein, fat, carbs and fibre before long. Vitamin pills contain fats, starches, and other nutrients as carriers. However, I agree that it’s not enough to sustain a person long enough to display the vitamin deficiency they’d get by doing it the other way 'round. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/9 "2004-08-11T20:36:50Z")
Oh, and I forgot to mention that it’s longer than they’d make it on reds, vitamin C and cocaine… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/10 "2004-08-11T22:36:54Z")
> [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > It probably depends on how generously you are defining vitamins. I’m talking those One-a-Day type “multi-vitamins”. > [@Colophon](#): > > There seems to be a commmon misconception that vitamins are the magical ingredients that the body really needs in food. > > Vitamins don’t provide you with energy. You’re still going to need protein, fat, carbs and fibre before long. Exactly my point. How long before your body turns on itself. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SuperNova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNova)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-on-vitamins-and-water-only-how-long/259283/11 "2004-08-11T23:38:06Z")
Again, it all depends on your weight. If I remember my biology correctly, a person would use their carbs first for energy. Those would be used up pretty quickly in this scenario. Next would be the fats, so people who weigh more would last far longer here. Finally, your body would use your muscles for energy before it breaks down. So I suppose a very muscular person would last a little bit longer also. As for actual days, the 50-75 days mentioned earlier seems a little bit long to me for the average person. But I’m not about to go out and test.