I heard a rumor the lettuce takes 7 years to digest. Is this true?

Question

I heard a rumor the lettuce takes 7 years to digest. Is this true?

Answer 1

No

Answer 2

No, it breaks down quite swiftly And even if not thourughly digest will pass through the digestive system and be expelled with other waste products within a few days at the outside.

Answer 3

That is a very silly idea.

As you already know, stuff is constantly moved through your gut by the process of peristalsis. So whatever you pop into your mouth will emerge (minus most of the nutrients and water) from the other end a few hours later.



Lettuce, like all plant food, has lots of UNDIGESTIBLE cellulose in it. This is the material that plant cell walls are made from. It is refered to as dietary fiber or roughage. This is very important for our gut because it gives bulk to the stuff inside our gut and allows the muscles responsible for peristalsis to squeeze it along. Without sufficient fiber in our diet we are likely to suffer constipation - the gut sort of gets clogged up and because water is constantly removed from faeces (the stuff in the lower gut) it gets too hard. Sounds quite painful!



Lettuce does not contain many nutrients but it does taste nice and it is crisp.

Answer 4

If you go on a salad only diet, does that mean you wouldn't poop? NO! Its also a legend that gum takes 7 years to digest.

Answer 5

Yes, this is true that's why the leading cause of death among the notorious lettuce beetle is constipation....

Answer 6

That's bizarre! Lettuce is good healthy food.

Answer 7

i hope not! but all i can tell u is to ask a doctor or somebody u know.