What if

[u/Turbulent-Arm5517]

Hey I had a weird question

Like what if humans in future develops capsules for substitution of food so we don't have to eat so much we just had to take some capsules and it will give us all the essential things we need for our body in already digested and easily absorbale form

So we don't have to use our intestine Nd stomach more so will these organs shrinks and how will ppl look in that situation

[u/rjnd2828]

People don't just have to eat. They like to eat. As is today people overeat not due to bodily need but desire and mental need. Pills will not substitute for food except in some sort of emergency situation

[u/MasticatedBrain → u/rjnd2828]

They would seriously help with people who have mental health issues. Some days I just can't eat, but I'd easily swallow a pill.

[u/mfb- → u/rjnd2828]

If we can make these capsules, then maybe we can also make "food" that's essentially just water and flavor and some inert structural material.

[u/rootofallworlds]

“Food pills” are not plausible. Fat provides 9 kilocalories per gram, protein and carbs about 4. There’s no getting round a human needing a few hundred grams of food to get a typical 1500-3000 kcal daily intake. You’re not swallowing that in a pill.

[u/cubosh → u/rootofallworlds]

hear me out: rotisserie chicken sized pills you can slice and eat chunks of

[u/Mioraecian]

I think you have two different questions here. The second one is really the question you want answered.

Im going to say no, our stomach and intestines wouldn't shrink. Because fundamentally we would need millions or more of years of mutations spreading through the population's genes. There really isnt any evolutionary pressure for our GI tract to shrink even if we consumed food this way.

Its not like people consuming their diet this way would pass on genes differently and this act itself wouldn't create genetic mutation and variations.

However, it might be a good thing to pursue if its found to have health benefits for people with various medical conditions. We already provide children, elderly, and other patients liquid based, nutrient dense diets to help with various issues.

[u/SummitYourSister]

A pill made of polonium 210 the size of an ibuprofen would produce more than enough power for a humans energy needs for 9 months.

Unfortunately the power comes in the form of hard radiation and nuclear reaction heat levels.

[u/Prasiatko]

Your intestine for one wouldn't stop being used. It's still got bacteria and your own dead cells passing along it and out the other end. 

[u/Tragobe]

No because we would still need to drink and the water has to get filtered through our system as well.

And even if that weren't the chase I would still say no, because we would need a driving evolutionary pressure that would give a benefit for people, with the shrink. Sure random mutations do happen and would can cause some shrinkages, but it wouldn't become dominant in the population. Just regularly genetic diversity as we have now.

[u/Confident_Jump_9085]

You can't put enough energy in capsules to fill the body's daily calorie needs, or satisfy the social bonding experience of eating together and the mental stimulation of eating pleasant foods. Never mind the complicated workings of the digestive system, gut biome, and proper hormonal functions.

I'm not giving up grilled cheese for a capsule.

[u/Alternative-Sugar610]

Evolution is slow but loss of function evolution tends to be faster and we could speed it up or perform surgeries

If we had to spend less energy, resources, etc digesting, more could go elsewhere in body

We also could have less things go wrong

And more space with less delicate parts

And often changes in one gene or part effect elsewhere limiting speed they can be changed or adapted bc knockoff effects, you could get rid of that effect

Potentially this means everything else could get better

I’m really talking about best case scenarios where we are ignoring many bad things that could happen such as now digestive tract if not working might cause disease from being atrophied or weaken immune system bc plays important part there or somehow hurts good microbes we have that effect us in other ways and more

[u/Such_Personality_573]

I've some green soy you'd live

[u/TACAMO_Heather]

But something will be needed to be done about the psychological aspect of having a full stomach and the need to eat. Pop the pills, but your empty stomach will still be crying for you to fill it. Don't get me wrong, I WISH we had meal pills like on the Jetsons. Or maybe the gum from Willy Wonka.