Show WHAT to EAT and WHY C. C Houston Goudiss Asks How Do You Get Your Vitamin D Relates Need for and Sources Sources' Of This Necessary Vitamin By C. C HOUSTON OUS ON GOUDISS HP THERE THERE HERE is scarcely a mother of a young baby today who J- J has not at one time or another been told to give her child liver cod-liver oil Perhaps she does not know this substance must be given to the baby for the vitamin D that it contains But she has heard that there is something in liver cod-liver oil which m makes kes it valuable to the baby's health A generation ago liver cod oil was given to children in the winter time to build them up after colds or various other respiratory illnesses It was not until 1921 however that a long series of painstaking ing investigation investigations terminating terminating terminating ing in the discovery of vitamin vitamin vita vita- min D made it clear that liver cod-liver oil is valuable as a source of vitamin D 35 and also why this vitamin is essential in the diet of growing children children children chil chil- dren as well as adults Discovery ry of Vitamin D DAfter DAfter DAfter After years of patient work and many many- thrilling and dramatic experiments ex cx- sev seven n forms of vitamin D Dhave Dhave have been revealed reveal d dby ir by science science And scientists ba have ve also solved the mystery 1 of how such widely videly separated factors as 44 1 liver cod-liver oil sunlight sunlight sunlight sun sun- light a diet that is f rich in and carefully care care- FM fully balanced with calcium and phosphorus phosphorus and ultraviolet ultraviolet ultra ultra- violet light all can perform the same service for the body Readers of this column may have observed that the discovery of a number of the vitamins came about chiefly through the efforts of investigators to discover a method of treating or curing obscure nutritional nutritional nutritional nu nu- nu- nu diseases In most instances instances instances in in- stances however carefully controlled controlled controlled con con- trolled laboratory experiments played their part in reaching the ultimate goal after some clue had been found as as to what the mysterious mysterious mysterious rious substance might be that helped to control a nutritional disease The discovery of vitamin D was no exception Vitamin D and Rickets Rickels Vitamin D is associated intimately intimately intimately inti inti- with the prevention and cure of rickets the most devastating devastating devastating ing nutritional disease of children in temperate climates Indeed it itis itis itis is the moderate and in some cases the small amount of sunshine in inthe inthe inthe the temperate zone that accounts partially for the presence of rickets Historians have given us reason to believe that this disease may have existed in England even be before before before be be- fore the Roman conquest Certainly Certainly Certainly it appeared in a serious form both in England and in other North European countries in the Seventeenth century In fact early literature refers to it as the English English English Eng Eng- lish disease and the early attempts attempts attempts at at- tempts to fathom its causes were written in Latin Lathi by English and Dutch doctors during the In rickets the childs child's head grows large and out of proportion to the body while the leg and arm bones and in severe cases even the ribs arc are bent and twisted out of their normal shape Need for Calcium and Phosphorus The two principal minerals required required required re re- re- re for constructing the bones and teeth are calcium obtained chiefly from milk cheese and green leafy vegetables and phosphorus phosphorus phosphorus found in generous amounts in eggs whole grain cereals and dried legumes But one of the things that made it so difficult for I scientists to determine the cause of rickets was the fact that apparently apparently apparently well fed children who had plenty of calcium and phosphorus frequently developed the disease Mystery of Cod Liver Oil liver Cod-liver oil had been used for many years because of its supposedly supposedly supposedly sup sup- tonic or building properties when it was observed that regular doses of liver cod-liver oil not only cured rickets in chilI children children chil chil- I dren but also cured the corresponding corresponding corre corre- disease in adults called i in which the bones become soft as the calcium and phosphorus already deposited in inI I them are arc withdrawn and excreted Fat and Vitamin D DOne DOne DOne One of the strangest paradoxes to the scientists in their early investigations was vas the fact that while liver cod-liver oil appeared to cure tickets rickets another substance high in 3 fat fat butter butter fat did not More research research research re re- re- re search work was necessary before it was discovered that wl while le butter butter butter but but- ter was rich in vitamin A cod- cod liver oil contained led two vitamins one of which was later named vitamin D D. D Effect of Sunlight More work was necessary and it took years of patient effort before before before be be- fore science unraveled the mystery mys mys- tery fery cry of how sunlight could have havethe havethe havethe the same apparent effect in preventing preventing preventing pre pre- venting rickets as liver cod-liver oil Once nutritionists understood I how sunlight acting on a fatty substance substance substance sub sub- stance in the skin could produce vitamin D however it was not difficult to carry the process a astep astep astep step further and learn how to forti fortify fy foods with a satisfactory content content content con con- tent of vitamin D. D Today we have at our disposal irradiated d milk or milk to which a vitamin D concentrate has been added Margarine too has been enriched not only with vitamin D but with vitamin A so that this priced moderate-priced spread for bread has been made an effective vitamin vitamin vita vita- mm min carrier Natural Food Sources of Vitamin D DJ DI The richest natural sources sources of J I vitamin D are the liver fish-liver oils including the oil liver-oil of the tuna swordfish rock fish salmon halibut halibut halibut hali hali- but mackerel cod and haddock The body oils of many fish also furnish substantial amounts That accounts for the fact that canned salmon has has' been regarded as such sucha a splendid food in the diet of children children children chil chil- dren and adults It is not only a good source of protein and of energy energy en en- ergy values but it contains substantial substantial substantial sub sub- amounts of the minerals calcium phosphorus and iodine and has been found to be an unusually unusually un un- usually good food source of vitamin vitamin vita vita- mm min D. D Egg yolk contains small amounts of vitamin D and when eaten regularly the quantity ig is enough to have a significant effect effect ef ef- ef feet in the diet of children Vitamin D Requirements So important is vitamin D considered considered considered con con- that the United States Childrens Children's Bureau advises that liver cod oil or some other form of this vitamin be supplied to all babies beginning at the age of oi two or three weeks Mothers should be guided by the advice of their physician in determining determining determining de de- de- de when to start the use ata of at ofa ofa a vitamin D preparation and what quantities to give But if they want vant to give their babies babics the blessing blessing blessing bless bless- ing bestowed on them by the scientists scientists sd- sd who vho discovered vitamin D they must not overlook this imp important important or- or tant substance As guardians of the health of both children and adults mothers should see to it that vitamin D Dis Dis is supplied regularly through the use of eggs and salmon foods goods and those fortified with vitamin D and if necessary fish liver oils or concentrates I |