By Live Science, adapted by Newsela staff Text Level 3Science.
Why can't humans digest corn?
By Live Science, adapted by Newsela staff
Text Level:3
When you eat corn, it often looks the same when you poop it out. It looks as if we did not digest it. How does corn survive the digestion process? Digestion is the journey through the body that breaks down food.
The human digestive system is like a long tube of organs. These body parts include your mouth, throat, stomach and intestines. They break the food into pieces. Your body uses these pieces for energy. Special proteins help break down the food even more. The proteins are called enzymes. They are found in your spit and stomach. Enzymes help turn food into nutrients. Your body soaks up these nutrients. Then it gets rid of what it cannot break apart. That waste is your poop.
The yellow kernels in your poo are just the outer part of the corn kernel. Corn kernels are seeds. They contain important genetic material. This material has instructions for growing new corn plants. The plant wants to protect it. That way, it can continue to regrow. To protect it, the coating is made of a tough fiber. This fiber is called cellulose. Humans do not have the enzymes to digest cellulose.
Processing Makes Food Easier To Digest
Only a tiny bit of the corn you eat is cellulose. The rest is nutritious food that your body breaks up and uses.
You can process corn first, before eating it. Then, you may not see the kernels in your poo. Processing is any way to break food down before eating it. For example, cooking or blending it. It makes food easier to digest.
Most of the corn you eat has been processed. Processed corn is in a lot of food. For example you can find corn in chips, popcorn and high-fructose corn syrup. These processed products are easier for your digestive system.
If something is easier to digest, it does not mean it is healthier. Many foods containing corn lose healthy nutrients during processing. Corn kernels in your poo might be odd. They are not bad for your health, though. They are signs you are eating corn in one of its healthiest forms.