Expert: Ronda Snow, Ph.D. - 3/7/2006

Question
 I'm doing a project for my 12th grade English class. It is about "our burning questions." We are going to make an encyclopedia with all my fellow students' questions and answers from experts. My question is Instead of eating food is there a way to take a pill, or pills (can be a large amount), that will keep you alive and healthy for at least three weeks?

Answer
We had a similar question come up when I was in high school. I did my own work then, so I expect the same of you.

First, look at your question. "healthy and alive" encompasses a lot.

IF you have adequate water and rest, humans can survive a few weeks without food at all, no pills required. The hunger strikes of Mahatma Ghandi is the classic example of this.

Healthy and thriving on just pills...well, that's another matter.

Let's stop and think for a minute...what do we get from food that keeps us healthy and alive.

Think about the lables on food.

What is the first thing on the list? Calories.

A calorie is a scientific term for the amount energy it takes to raise 1cc of water 1 degree centigrade. It is a way of measuring the energy we get out of the food we eat.

What else is in food besides vitamins and calories? Fiber. Fiber is needed to keep the gi tract healthy and functioning. Fiber takes up a lot of room.

So, at what point does a large pill  or a bunch of pills become food and no longer a pill? What do you consider a pill? Something with just vitamins? Vitamins in a sugar base so it a few calories too? Or a big fiber pill with sugars and vitamins...at which point you basically have highly processed food.

So...


To survive for a few weeks, all you need is rest and water.

To survive long term, by the time you made a pill that was adequate to the task, it would just be over processed food anyway.

Processed food is never as healthy as fresh whole food.

Now, what conclusions do you draw from this?