Caleb Foster
It is a common belief that if you eat your hair or nails, they will get deposited in your appendix and cause appendicitis. However, this is just a myth. Nails are made of keratin, which is not digestible by humans or most living things. Hair is also made of keratin and is not digestible in its raw form. While some bacteria can digest keratin, they are not the kind that can survive in the human gut.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Are hair and fingernails digestible? | No, hair and fingernails are not digestible by humans. |
| Composition of hair and nails | Hair and nails are made of a type of protein called Keratin, which is not digestible by humans. |
| Can hair be made digestible? | Yes, by boiling hair in blood to break it down before consumption, it can be turned into protein that can be digested by the body. |
| Can fingernails be made digestible? | No specific information found, but fingernails are not recommended to be swallowed. |
| Impact on health | There is a saying that if you eat your hair or nails, it can get deposited in the appendix and cause appendicitis. |
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What You'll Learn
Hair is made of keratin, which humans cannot digest
Hair and fingernails are made of a protein called keratin, which is difficult for the human body to digest. While keratin can be broken down into amino acids and converted to glucose, this process is not possible with the "god-given digestion equipment" that humans have.
Keratin is a type of protein that comes in many forms. According to Dr. Deepak Kanojia, a cancer researcher at Northwestern University, Chicago, there are over 50 different types of functional keratin in the human body. Keratin is a component of hair, skin, and nails, and it is also present in the cytoskeleton of cells. However, the keratin found in hair is structured differently from other forms of keratin, making it insoluble and difficult to digest.
The human body does not have the necessary enzymes to break down the keratin in hair. Specifically, there is a lack of thioredoxin or thiol reductase in digestive enzymes, which are needed to break down the disulphide bonds in keratin proteins. While it is theoretically possible to break down hair by boiling it in blood or drenching it in peptidase enzymes, these methods are not practical or safe for human consumption.
Additionally, the caloric value of keratin is low compared to other substances like cellulose, as the digestion process requires undoing stable disulphide bridges. This process is costly and requires dedicated enzymes and/or strong acids, which are not present in the human digestive system. As a result, consuming hair and fingernails is unlikely to provide sufficient nutrition and could lead to nutritional deficiencies over time.
In summary, while hair is made primarily of keratin, this protein is not digestible by the human body due to the lack of specific enzymes and the structure of hair keratin.
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Humans lack the bacteria to break down keratin
Hair and fingernails are made of a protein called keratin. Keratin is a recalcitrant protein that is not digestible by humans. This is because humans lack the bacteria to break down keratin.
To be digestible, humans would need specialized bacteria similar to those that help digest cellulose. While bacteria called dermatophytes can feed on hair and skin squamae, they are not optimized for survival in the gut. Dust mites can also digest softer keratin by drenching it in peptidase enzymes, but this process cannot occur in the human gut because the enzymes would digest the gut itself first.
In addition, human digestive protease production is not efficient enough to break down keratin, which is why even obligate carnivores like cats regurgitate hairballs instead of digesting them.
There has been research into using bacteria to break down keratin for agricultural and medical purposes. For example, a team at Harvard University genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to break down keratin for treating common skin ailments. In agriculture, there is interest in upgrading keratinaceous waste to protein-rich animal feed, which would require understanding the mechanisms of microbial breakdown of keratin by fungi, bacteria, or a combination of both. However, it appears difficult or maybe impossible to find single-component bacterial enzymes that can break down keratin alone.
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Fingernails are also made of keratin and are not digestible
Fingernails are made of a protein called keratin, which is not digestible by the human body. This is due to the fact that keratin is not a single protein but a type of many different proteins. As a result, eating fingernails can be dangerous, as they may get caught in the appendix and cause appendicitis.
The human body does not produce the right kind of digestive enzymes to break down keratin. While some bacteria, such as dermatophytes, can digest keratin, they are not designed to survive in the human gut. Dust mites are also able to digest softer keratin by using peptidase enzymes, but this process would damage the human gut due to the high concentration of enzymes required.
Additionally, biting fingernails can introduce harmful bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, into the mouth and gut, leading to gastrointestinal infections and other health issues. In rare cases, severe nail-biting habits have led to sepsis and even death.
Therefore, it is advisable to avoid biting or ingesting fingernails, as they are not digestible and can pose serious health risks.
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Swallowing hair and nails may cause appendicitis
Hair and fingernails are made of a protein called keratin, which is not digestible by the human body. While there are bacteria that can digest keratin, they are not designed to survive in the human gut. As a result, hair and fingernails that are swallowed remain undigested.
There is a common saying that swallowing hair, skin, or nails can cause appendicitis. This is often told to children to discourage them from ingesting these things. While it is rare, there have been cases of appendicitis caused by nails that have lodged in the appendix. In one case, a 49-year-old woman presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain localizing to the right lower quadrant. She underwent an uncomplicated appendectomy, and a keratin nail with Actinomyces was identified in her appendix.
In another case, a nail contaminated with Actinomyces was found to have lodged in a woman's appendix, resulting in acute appendicitis. This is an example of a rare scenario where ingestion of a foreign body resulted in acute appendicitis. Most foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract without causing complications, but they can cause obstructive signs and symptoms, and surgical intervention may be required to extract the object.
The probability of an object entering the appendix is very low, and identifying a foreign body in the appendiceal lumen is extremely rare, being reported in approximately 0.005% of cases of appendicitis. However, once in the appendix, the object may not be able to reenter the colon, and it can cause appendicitis and/or perforation. Sharp and pointed objects are more likely to cause perforations, while blunt objects can cause bowel perforations through slow pressure necrosis and can lead to appendicitis by obstructing the appendiceal lumen.
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Hair and nails are dead cells
Hair and nails are made of dead cells. The part of the nails that can be seen is made of dead cells, which is why cutting your nails does not hurt. Similarly, hair that has grown out of the scalp is dead. While hair and nails are made of a type of protein called keratin, they are not digestible by humans. This is because keratin is not a single protein but a type of many different proteins.
Keratin is similar to cellulose, and to digest it, humans would need specialized bacteria similar to those that help in digesting cellulose. Such bacteria do exist and are called dermatophytes, but they are not optimized for survival in the gut. Dust mites are also able to digest keratin by drenching it in peptidase enzymes, but this process cannot be replicated in the human gut because the enzymes would digest the gut itself.
It is a common saying that if you eat your hair or nails, they will be deposited in the cecal (Vermiform) appendix and can cause appendicitis. While this may be true, most cases are likely asymptomatic and never come to light.
It is worth noting that hair can be digested by boiling it in blood, turning it into protein that the body can use. However, this is not a practical or recommended way to obtain nutrients.
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Frequently asked questions
No, hair and fingernails are not digestible by humans. Hair would need to be boiled in blood to break it down before it could be consumed. Fingernails are made of keratin, which is not digestible by most living things.
Consuming hair and fingernails can cause appendicitis. They will pass through the digestive system undigested and can form a bezoar, a clump of hair and other indigestible material.
A bezoar is an undigested clump of hair and other indigestible material that can form in the stomach.
Humans do not have the specialized bacteria needed to digest hair and fingernails. These bacteria, called dermatophytes, exist but are not optimized for survival in the human gut.
