Monday 9 January 2017

food - Can humans eat grass?


Can a human eat grass and digest it? Could it be possible to use it as food just like other plants such as wheat or beans?



Answer



To elaborate on A random zoologist's answer, the problem is that the human digestive system does not contain any cellulase enzymes. Cellulases are a class of enzymes that break down cellulose, the chief structural component of plants. You might be able to obtain a small amount of nutrition from grass or other cellulose-rich materials, but as the plant cell walls are made of cellulose, most of the plant material will be indigestible.


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