| Show lack of vitamin B causes malnutrition in the human body animals and poultry vitamin B is one of the vitamins which cannot be stored up in the body to be used later it must be taken in daily quantities and while many of our foods contain this vitamin one of the most abundant sources is fresh vegetables from the garden especially greens lima beans it was recently discovered contain large quantities of vitamin B the university of illinois summarizes the story of vitamin B thus vitamin B is necessary for the maintenance of life and vigor at all ages lack of it promptly prevents growth impairs the appetite affects the organs of digestion and reproduction and causes malnutrition particularly of the nervous system in the latter stages of this type of nerve inflammation and degeneration often develop causing a partial or complete paralysis of the hind quarters of animals and in poultry even more characteristic symptoms in human nutrition a lack of vitamin B will ultimately cause a disease known as beri berl beri a disease common to oriental people whose chief diet consists of polished rice in animals a similar disease known as neuritis or results from lack of vitamin B the word is defined as a disease of many nerves vitamin B is known to be present in seeds but to be absent from refined cereals like polished rice milk eggs and most vegetables supply it in natural food the vitamin B is said to be remarkably staple in the dry state the loss to be expected during canning is less than for vitamin C but the vitamin B content of a cooked product may be decreased by the use of soda or by discarding cooking water some concern has been expressed lest th vitamin B R content of the american diet be inadequate the supposed deficiency is due to the increasing use of refined foods sweets and fats all low in vitamin B for diets largely composed of such items may bring the total vitamin B intake perilously low |
