On Wed, 30 Aug 2000 07:25:53 -0400, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>When I eat vegetables, the difference in stool volume seems
>greater than what can be accounted for by fiber alone, since
>fruit have comparable amounts of fiber anyway.  So there may be
>something to the idea that vegetables are less digestible, making
>their nutrients less available.

It seems intuitively apparent to me that vegetables are not eaten to provide
"sustenance", ie energy, but rather to provide nutrients, which usually are
present in tiny quantities like a fraction of a gram.

Thus, it is clear that most of the vegetable is not digested.

A great example is celery - it "tastes good" - thus indicating some
appropriateness as food, but analysis shows virtually no "calories" - or
anything else for that matter - other than a lot of fiber and some trace
nutrients.

Perhaps a natural lifestyle would only include salad once a week or once a month
- to sweep out the digestive system, and provide some unusual nutrients not
found in meat, fruit or nuts.


--
Cheers,

Ken
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