# What happens if you eat silica gel?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 24, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272 "2007-09-24T05:22:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fireclown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Fireclown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fireclown)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272/1 "2007-09-24T05:22:16Z")

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Suppose I ignore the warning on the little bag and decide that silica gel would make a tasty snack. Would it poison me?

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**Author:** ![Obligate\_Carnivore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Obligate\_Carnivore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obligate_Carnivore)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272/2 "2007-09-24T05:26:41Z")

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I’m pretty sure in the amounts present in those packages it wouldn’t be an issue. But I’m basing my answer on the fact that it’s not an issue when a dog/cat eats them so there’s a good chance I might be wrong.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272/3 "2007-09-24T05:27:10Z")

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No, it would not poison you. But it could cause an ulcer in your gastro-intestinal tract.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272/4 "2007-09-24T11:23:44Z")

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So it won’t instantly absorb all the fluid from your body, leaving a withered, desiccated husk? Shame.

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272/5 "2007-09-24T13:55:44Z")

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You get all those people who have been printing those warnings for years and years severely pissed.

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**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel/420272/6 "2007-09-24T15:44:33Z")

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The people that were busted off the mattress tag enforcement squad come to see you.

And they’re **not** happy.