What happens when a person eats something that can’t be dissolved in the stomach?

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I understand how certain things can be toxic because of chemicals it is made of but what about if someone ate something that stomach acids couldn’t break down? I’m not actually sure the limits but I would think a number of minerals or gemstones wouldn’t be able to be broken down entirely. Could they clog parts of the body?

Edit: I also mean something that is generally larger than corn or other normal edible objects. A large gemstone for instance, as portrayed in various comedy scenarios.

In: Biology

4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

They could get stuck, but sometimes they get coated in protective mucous and plop in the toilet

Anonymous 0 Comments

The same thing that happens when you eat corn. It doesn’t get digested and is passed (hopefully).

Anonymous 0 Comments

Generally if something like say a rock, can make it through the stomach it can pass through the rest of your digestive system without too much difficulty. And if it can make it down your throat and not your stomach, it may be able to make it back up if you vomit. Otherwise it might just sit in the stomach and cause ulcers.

Not that it’s a good idea to swallow random things. Stuff with sharp edges is liable to poke a hole in something which can kill you. Coin cell batteries, and magnets are two notable -really bad things- to swallow.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Corn & peanuts are 2 things that exit the body the same way they went in, stomach acid does not desolve them. They have no cellulose or water soluble fibre so they do not get digested, they just pass through in the same state they were when you swallowed them.