# Nutritional value of medication (Open spoilers for "The Martian")

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-value-of-medication-open-spoilers-for-the-martian/764014>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 26, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-value-of-medication-open-spoilers-for-the-martian/764014 "2016-08-26T14:43:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-value-of-medication-open-spoilers-for-the-martian/764014/1 "2016-08-26T14:43:25Z")

</div>

Finally got around to seeing The Martian, there’s a [scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFtpibohxg0) in it where Matt Damon laments the fact that he ran out of ketchup for his potato crop and is reduced to using Vicodin as a condiment.

In his situation, is this a good idea? Will it give him a few precious extra calories or will the body processing it reduce the calorie intake?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-value-of-medication-open-spoilers-for-the-martian/764014/2 "2016-08-26T15:13:24Z")

</div>

It’s not about the Calories, for the ketchup (which has very few) nor for the Vicodin (which has essentially none). It’s about keeping his life bearable enough that he doesn’t commit suicide.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-value-of-medication-open-spoilers-for-the-martian/764014/3 "2016-08-26T15:24:14Z")

</div>

Yeah, that line’s about self-medicating, not nutrition.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-value-of-medication-open-spoilers-for-the-martian/764014/4 "2016-08-26T15:37:42Z")

</div>

A lot of pills contain excipients (binders, etc.) with some trivial but non-zero caloric content. Some excipients are simply sugar, starch, or gelatin.

Still, I agree that the scene is more about self-medicating than a non-traditional condiment.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nefario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-value-of-medication-open-spoilers-for-the-martian/764014/5 "2016-08-26T16:21:18Z")

</div>

> [@Chronos](#):
>
> It’s about keeping his life bearable enough that he doesn’t commit suicide.

That’s exactly the sentiment in the book. He eventually found any variation of potatoes barely edible. He saved one prepackaged meal for his “last morning on Mars” if he made it to the escape rocket.