There must be some caloric input required to produce mucus, however my question is what happens when you swallow your own mucus vs spitting. Do you retain calories by swallowing mucus?

  • radix@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    41
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    Sure. It contains proteins in the mucin family, which will have some, eh, “nutritional” value. Plus whatever is caught up in it. It’s mostly water, though, so not much.

    • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.worksOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      8 months ago

      Interesting. I wasn’t sure if it was indigestible, so even if it took calories to produce swallowing wouldn’t cause you to retain calories.

      People are funny as if I am only talking about boogers. There is mucus in just saliva.

      I am curious if you spit all day like a camel, versus not what the caloric difference would be in a day. Also curious for the same, but with the individual having a heavy cold.

      • xePBMg9@lemmynsfw.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        13
        ·
        8 months ago

        I once tried spitting all day when I was a kid. There is this sudden pain when your throat dries up enough and sticks closed. It is not pleasant and you will instinctively retain every little drop of spit after that.

      • phdepressed@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        Skorjden’s disease is an autoimmune disease that attacks salivary glands. It is a large part of why Venus Williams had to retire. I don’t believe there’s any noticeable caloric difference though research would mostly be on the other effects of disease.