MCAT Question A Day - 3/3/14 - Answer!
Foods rich in fiber are basically plant materials high in cellulose, a cell wall polysaccharide that we cannot digest. The nutritional benefit(s) provided by such foods result from
A. other macromolecules present that can be digested and absorbed.
B. macromolecules (like cellulose) that are absorbed without digestion and then catabolized inside the cells.
C. microbes that are the normal symbionts of plant tissues.
D. All of the above
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The correct answer is (A). An understanding of the relationship between digestion and absorption is helpful. Except for the associated beneficial effects of maintaining normal digestive function and regularity, fiber itself provides little or no nutrition. The foods containing fiber, however, have other nutritional substances that we are able to digest and absorb.
