Show I WHAT to EAT and WHY o- o C. C Houston Goudiss Describes the Body's 1 Vital Need for Vitamin C Names Most Significant Sources of This Substance By C. C HOUSTON GOUDISS J F ALL the vitamins that i O OF every day none perhaps frequently provided There are I believe twosome two Isome i isome some of the other vitamins v body so that it is impossible In order to maintain top health it therefore must be furnished in the diet every day Second the C vitamin is more easily destroyed than some of the others for it is oxidized upon exposure to the air and is usually partially destroyed in cooking That accounts for the well-known well rule that it is usually desirable to in include include include in- in clude in the daily diet some raw t foods such as cabbage cabbage cabbage cab cab- bage or citrus fruits The rule may be waived 4 r however when tomato tomato to to- v mato juice or cranberry cranberry cranberry cran cran- berry sauce are included included in in- eluded in the menu For careful experiments have determined that because of their high acid content content content con con- tent these two foods retain their i vitamin C to a remarkable degree degree degree de de- gree when commercially canned or when cooked quickly in the home Functions of Vitamin C The full fuU importance of including including including ing an adequate supply of vitamin rich C-rich foods in the diet can only be fully appreciated when the amazing functions of this anti anti- scorbutic vitamin are fully un un- Long years before the first vitamin vitamin vitamin vita vita- min had been discovered and when the science of nutrition was still in its infancy English physicians physicians physicians observed that the use of orange orange orange or or- ange juice would help to cure children children children chil chil- dren of a serious disease characterized characterized characterized charac charac- by a sallow pale complexion complex complex- ion flabby muscles and a painful inflammation of the membrane surrounding the bones of the legs And as early as 1795 it was also discovered that British sailors could be prevented from developing developing develop develop- ing the painful and serious disease disease disease dis dis- ease of scurvy if they were given givena a regular ration of lemon juice which had been evaporated to a syrup It was because lemon then called lime juice was invariably prescribed for the navy that British British British Brit Brit- ish sailors came to be known as limies a term which is still in use today Scurvy a Controllable Disease Scurvy was thus prevented or cured in both children and adults long before scientists learned that precious vitamin C G is the controlling controlling controlling control control- ling factor in this disease And i shortly after the turn of the century century century cen cen- tury a systematic study was begun be be- begun I be-I beIgun gun by scientists in both Europe and America to discover all the foods that possessed the almost magical power to prevent and cure this former scourge of man man- kind In the course of many painstaking ing investigations and brilliant discoveries we have gradually in increased increased increased in- in creased our knowledge of scurvy until today we know that the substance substance substance sub sub- stance which prevents the disease is vitamin C. C May Retard Growth in Children It has also been noted that many cases of latent scurvy can be found among children and adults in all walks of life It has been determined for example that many children who are restless restless restless rest rest- less irritable or retarded in growth are in reality suffering from a deficiency of vitamin C. C When deprived of this vitamin experimental animals develop swollen tender joints sore jaws and spongy bleeding gums while the teeth become loosened and assume as ns sume irregular positions Hemorrhages Hemor Hemor- Hemorrhages may occur almost anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where in the body due to capillary capillary capillary capil capil- lary weakness and are particularly particularly particularly common in the kidneys intestines intestines in intestines in- in bone marrow under the skin in the muscles and adrenal glands Indeed one of the most interesting of all the discoveries concerning vitamin C was made with guinea pigs It was observed that in a healthy animal the adrenal adre adre- adrenal nal glands arc are rich in vitamin C i i should be included in the diet is mo more e important nor more ely tely than vitamin C C. C reasons for this First unlike I vitamin C is not stored by the theto theto to build up a reserve supply I t while in a scorbutic animal they contain practically none Pyorrhea and Vitamin C Many investigators have discovered discovered discovered ered that a deficiency of vitamin C causes profound changes not only in the gums but also in the enamel and dentine of the teeth It has been suggested that pyorrhea pyorrhea pyorrhea pyor- pyor rhea may be associated directly with a vitamin C G deficiency Certainly there is enough convincing convincing convincing con con- evidence e as a result of work with both children and adults to indicate the importance of an adequate supply of vitamin C in maintaining healthy teeth Sources of This Body Regulator Vitamin C is produced by plants during their growth It is found in juicy stems bulbs roots tubers tubers tubers tu tu- tu- tu bers and fruits Outstanding among the fruits are the citrus family including oranges oranges oranges or or- anges lemons and grapefruit to tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes to- to matoes and cranberries Raw cabbage is is a good source as is watercress So important is vitamin C that one or more generous portions of ofa a vitamin rich C-rich food should be consumed daily preferably at every every every ev ev- ery meal Orange and tomato juice have been seen Jeen used interchangeably for lor r rf f quite juite some time as a convenient md and easily available source of vitamin vitamin vi- vi J 1 i tamin lamin C. C In recent years some performed at a leading leading lead- lead e ing university have given a high ranking to cranberries on this score so that they too may be i ranked as a significant source of at vitamin C. C These brilliant little red berries come into market in the the fall fall the very time when it is Important to cat eat generously of fruits to fortify the body against fall and winter ills Their tart flavor helps to t stimulate appetite and their fruit acids promote intestinal tone Neither the maturity nor variety of the fruit appears to have any influence on the vitamin content and even when cooked as whole fruit sauce they retain from 75 to 80 per cent of the original vitamin C content of the fruit Cranberries Cranberries Cranberries ries are also a fair source of vitamin vitamin vitamin vita vita- min A which is not impaired by cooking and they contain iodine iron copper and manganese Because they are such a versatile versatile versatile versa versa- tile fruit cranberries can be utilized utilized utilized uti uti- uti- uti throughout the menu and at any meal Thus orange and to to- tomato tomato I mato juice may be varied at breakfast by serving a cranberry conserve jelly or sauce or a cranberry cranberry cranberry cran cran- berry juice cocktail For lunch or dinner this same fruit may be served as an appetizer with the meat course or used to make a variety of attractive desserts If vitamin containing C-containing foods are included generously in the daily diet the homemaker may maywell maywell maywell well feel that she has provided her family with an important form of health insurance D C. e C. C Houston Goudiss 1938 1938 37 |