– If our stomach acids are so acidic and able to essentially puree food to be digested, then why does stuff like corn and seeds not breakdown?

Question

I’ve always wondered this. I know it’s something to do with cellulose in the corn but wouldn’t the hydrochloric acids in the stomach be so acidic that it breaks down everything?

In: Biology

Answer 1

IIRC the acid itself doesn’t actually have a big part to play in digesting the food. It’s the enzymes that exist in your GI tract that do the digestion of the food. It’s why some people are lactose intolerant and some people aren’t. The human body lacks the required enzymes to digest cellulose and so the outer shell of the corn passes through unprocessed. It’s why cooking veggies and grains is a lot more productive nutrition-wise compared to eating em raw.