I know it’s possible to absorb things through your skin, which is why nicotine patches work. Also it’s now being studied that a lot of beauty products have certain chemicals that are considered hormonal disruptors and can be found in our bloodstream for hours after using them.
So instead of using lotion, I’ve switched to using coconut oil. And this brought up the question can you absorb calories through your skin? And can you get the benefits of MCT topically?
And if it needs to go through your digestive track in order get the nutrients then how is that possible we can absorb toxins topically?
In: Biology
No. Well, sort of.
I mean, it depends how you define nutrients. For instance, we absorb vitamin D through our skin. But if you mean caloric intake, then no, you cant rub a cheeseburger over your chest and metabolize it.
Our GI tract is built the way it is for a reason – every part of it plays an important function in breaking down the food and isolating what’s important, taking what it needs and getting rid of the rest. The places where nutrients are absorbed are much more porace than skin, and completely different type of cell anyway. They’re also alive, where as skin is a wall of dead cells to fortify against external forces.
In terms of toxins, you have to be more specific. A toxin is not synonymous with toxic, and not every toxin can be absorbed through your skin. The easy oversimplified answer is that some compounds are bigger than others – some can fit between your cells while others cannot.
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