Corn, wheat, rice, etc are all grass that we eat regularly. report. Relevance. email : gyaandesire@gmail.com Is it good for us? Humans absolutely can eat grass. Cows eat grass, doesn't mean you can! can humans eat grass? Okay no sources but years ago when I was studying this I got the impression was that we can not eat grass because it has pathogens that our stomach can not deal with, whereas cows are well-equipped to deal with it. Answer Save. or just chewing grass as cats do. Plus, eating grass is not good for human teeth. 16 Answers. 0 0. Taste would be questionable, but the nutrients could be extracted. I know that we are omnivores, but surely the ability to eat pretty much ANYTHING that's edible would have been an evolutionary advantage? it would be better if you blended it to make soup then it could be digested easily. 4 years ago. Grass is very fibrous, and has little nutrient value. Hi all, this is my first post here. I don't think there is a human foodstuff made from fermented grass and forbs -- called silage -- where bacteria have broken down the cellulose for us into glucose. Ya that's what I mean. Humans lack the enzymes and digestive fauna to effectively break down grass, so it would be highly inefficient, and would probably result in … . New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. - 14266361 1. Why can’t humans digest grass, if cows, goats and sheep can? Can I eat the other parts of the grass … Can humans eat and process grass? Or just rice/beans to make an energy dense fermented product. . I'm confused though. This is the place to post any questions you have about the science behind food. Favourite answer. The cows are able to get enough by eating a massive amount of plant matter and spending many hours ruminating it. The edible grasses excellent for human consumption are generally cereal grain grasses, for example wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa grass, as well as oat grass. If I understand correctly, the cows are feeding grass to the microbes that live inside the cow’s stomachs. 100% Upvoted. Grass is edible for sure, it just won't help you all that much. Humans already eat cellulose as it is... It’s an insoluble fiber which has benefits of its own and is present in many plant foods. I'm unaware of people eating grass other than as a means of survival in dire circumstances. Source: quora.com. You can also just put it in a blender and make grass soup, though it won't be extremely rich in nutrients. For people, cooking helps break down the fibers, but it may just not be very palatable. In principle, people can eat grass; it is non-toxic and edible. As others have stated, grass has little nutritional value, even for animals who can digest it (usually by harboring symbiotic bacteria in their guts), like the ruminants. Is that not right? Ask your question. 1. Lv 4. A2A Grass ,as such cannot be eaten in its raw form as its difficult to digest. These symbionts can break the bond in cellulose for the animal its living in. It seems so weird that we eat lettuce and celery but not grass. Cellulose, the stuff that grass as well as many other plants are made of can't be digested (IIRC) by the human body, meaning you eat a lot of stuff that will just get excreted anyway without gaining any nutritional value. Where does the protein in the mother's milk come from? In principle, people can eat grass; it is non-toxic and edible. You have probably seen cows contentedly enjoying a nice mouthful of grass. As for grasses, you eat the seeds of them, wheat, oats, corn, rice. Posted by 5 years ago. or is grass almost entirely composed of fiber which humans cannot digest? I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. This subreddit has been created to serve as a neutral ground for exchanging and discussing scientific evidence relating to human nutrition. Plants don’t provide a lot of protein for humans or animals. In fact, grass seeds constitute the primary staple of the diet of most humans around the world. Close. Explained. No idea if it does anything beneficial but its definitely digestible. Archived. The cool rainy months bring forth lots of young tender grasses. 1. Cows and other mammals can eat grass because they have special bacteria living in their stomachs called symbiont bacteria. Sure you can! its hard for humans to digest though. Make sure to like ,share and subscribe. They have several stomachs and they ferment the grass before it gets to their main digestive system. That way cows can get energy from grass. Right, seeds are very different from grass itself -- which humans cannot derive nutritional value from. Welcome to r/ScientificNutrition! Could humans take an enzyme pill that would allow them to eat grass? Cows and other animals eat it just fine, so why is it not in our regular diet? is there any nutritional content in grass humans can use? I admit, I've never gone out to specifically try to eat grass. That way cows can get energy from grass. We humans do not have such stomachs. I wouldn’t advise chewing it since grass contains silica that wears down teeth. That means grass doesn't break down in our guts. 2. ELI5: Why don't humans eat grass like we do other vegetables? My biology teacher was explaining today that lactose intolerant folks can take pills which allow them to properly digest lactose. You can get powdered wheatgrass o amazon, lots of people take it. Secondary School. Right, seeds are very different from grass itself -- which humans cannot derive nutritional value from. Humans can eat grass although the general race dislikes it. I know that humans can't digest cellulose because we lack the proper enzymes. Was wondering if humans can do this and get protein from grass… No macroscopic animals digest cellulose on their own. 15 points Why cant humans eat grass ? patchouligirl. save. If you left Why can't humans eat grass? but you can cook it if you want to. This is not science, but I remember reading that Inuit people in Northen Canada used to stalk moose or elk for few hours when it ate some type of grass. read more. - … Can humans eat grass that has already been fermented (so that the cellulose is broken down)? Log in. As for humans eating grass, we are not multi-gastric (or in theory large-gutted). By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Can humans eat and process grass? Join now. ELI5: Why don't humans eat grass like we do other vegetables? But it doesn't do them any good because they can't digest it. Was wondering if humans can do this and get protein from grass, the way herbivores do. More posts from the ScientificNutrition community, Continue browsing in r/ScientificNutrition. hide. Wheat, barley, rice, corn, etc, are all grasses. It's not toxic or anything. Just a reminder that every link submission must have a summary in the comment section, and every top level comment must provide sources to back up any claims. In fact, you probably eat parts of grass on a daily basis. Find out 9 ways marijuana could be influencing your health. Hi all, this is my first post here. Sort by. Don’t the bacteria create short chain fatty acids that are then metabolised by the cow? share. Grass contains a lot of silica, the main ingredient in many rocks including quartz and sandstone. Cows and other mammals can eat grass because they have special bacteria living in their stomachs called symbiont bacteria. Wouldn't the protein within the grass's plant cells have protein which is only accessible with the cellulose broken down? People can actually eat grass. 1 decade ago. As a practical food source, however, your lawn leaves a lot to be desired. Please read our Posting Guidelines before you contribute to this submission. level 2. However there are better substrates than grass, like grass seed for example to make mushrooms. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. There is actually quite some research going on in grass protein extraction / biorefinery, nothing industrial yet as far as I know (duckweed however is already processed into protein concentrates), More posts from the foodscience community. Humans lack the enzyme necessary to digest cellulose, which makes up the cell walls of plants. Cows and sheep are ruminating animals. The only way humans could digest grass would be to get something else that can digest cellulose to eat it first- this is what cows do. Rice and beans are seeds/legumes. This thread is archived. Log in. Parts of it. The science is still hazy—but research is giving us an idea of what weed does to the body. Posted by 2 years ago. This video by theknowledgeablefamily tells you whether humans can eat grass or not? Rice and beans are seeds/legumes. Cows have a four-chambered stomach for that purpose, horses have a huge large intestine, even the gorilla has a gut that can accommodate large amounts of vegetation. Humans absolutely can eat grass. Join now. Wheat, oats, barley, corn, and other grains are cereals, part of the broad family of grasses. and contain protein. I am not sure the human race could survive on the planet without eating grass. share. Unlike humans, cows are ruminants and have four stomach chambers enabling them to digest grass. There are two main problems with a grass diet. We don’t have any of these symbiont bacteria, so we can’t digest the cellulose in grass. Was wondering if humans can do this and get protein from grass, the way herbivores do. We don’t have any of these symbiont bacteria, so we can’t digest the cellulose in grass. The rice stalks and the bean plants are best fed to non-human animals that can ferment the cellulose. But that's only because they can digest the grass much better than we can. This is a long process and is why cows have 5 stomachs, and bring the grass back up to chew it a second time (chewing the cud) and rabbits eat their own droppings. Press J to jump to the feed. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. What the cows are digesting are the microbes.How Cows Get Protein. Animals that eat grass have adapted digestive systems. raw grass juice is better of course. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Mediterranean diet w/ lot of leafy greens. In regard to protein, this is ubiquitous in grasses. The rice stalks and the bean plants are best fed to non-human animals that can ferment the cellulose. These symbionts can break the bond in cellulose for the animal its living in. Cows have the bacteria to break cellulose down, releasing the protein, and that's why they can live off grass. Close. Is it good for us? Most grass eating animals have a complex gut that involves a fermentation stage where they grow bacteria which can break down the cellulose into sugars which can be absorbed. Cookies help us deliver our Services. 3 comments. We don't have such symbionts so we'd simply starve. Hi all, this is my first post here. But in all fairness, for the most part humans only eat the grains of the grass. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. As a practical food source, however, your lawn leaves a lot to be desired. Cows and termites use a workaround by keeping symbiotic colonies of (remarkably varied, particularly in ruminants) microorganisms in their gut, enabling them to eat grass and wood. Human stomachs cannot digest hard raw leaves and grass easily, but cows can.certainly eat grass. Cereals, for example, are all grasses including oats, wheat, rye, etc. In fact, grass seeds constitute the primary staple of the diet of most humans around the world. Also, animals (or we I suppose) wouldn't get protein from it, we would get glucose similar to how we get glucose from the starch in potatoes by breaking it down with amylase. Yes, fermenting indigestible food to make it edible is popular all over the world. Biology. Explained. Welcome to r/ScientificNutrition. Young greens are preferred as far as I can tell. There are some places in developing countries where severe drought (due to El Nino last year) has caused a severe shortage of food and money, forcing people to eat bread made by ground wild grass. We aren’t designed to break down the cellulose in grass to get out the nutriments. Bamboo (shoots) is also a grass. yes you can. Humans don’t. Posts about food science careers, education, and technical questions are also welcome. The first is that human stomachs have difficulty digesting raw leaves and grasses. Basically, there are grasses everywhere you go; and although it’s a well-known fact that humans can live well and thrive on a totally vegetarian diet, eating grass unfortunately wouldn’t do much for us. Even in silage not all the cellulose is fermented. When they are babies and need more protein for development, they drink their mothers milk. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Humans aren’t the only creatures who have difficulty digesting grass – dogs sometimes eat grass when they are feeling nauseous. Then, they would kill it, get that stuff out of the stomach and eat it. If you choose to comment and participate in the sub, scientific rigor is expected! At a minimum, we'll just pass it out undigested. Wheat, barley, rice, corn, etc, are all grasses. got me thinking. Why cant humans eat grass ? You could definitely eat fermented grass which is known as silage. On the topic of foraging, few people do it for need, but it can still be a good way to supplement a diet and take advantage of the food around you. Before the use of the plough grass was seen as a treat in many a country. Bamboo (shoots) is also a grass. 5 comments. We'd get some protein from the protein in the grass but that's separate from the cellulose. If we eat a lot of it, we'll most likely vomit or have diarrhea. I thought the protein in grasses is locked behind the cellulose walls. You still digest the protein in grasses while the cellulose functions as a dietary fiber. Archived. You whether humans can eat grass because they can live off grass unaware of people take it,,... Treat in many a country protein for humans eating grass, the way herbivores do if it anything! Necessary to digest cellulose, which makes up the cell walls of plants are two main problems with a diet! Difficulty digesting raw leaves and grass easily, but cows can.certainly eat grass they... 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