Show s Vitamin Formed in Milk By Miraculous Process When the existence of vitamins in foods was first discovered not even the discoverers knew what a vita vita- vitamin vitamin I min was Scientists had learned that there was something in certain foods that possessed almost magi magi- magical magical magical cal health building heap qualities Later says the National Dairy Y council science gave the fat soluble chemical substance found in the but but- butterfat butterfat butterfat of milk the name vitamin A. A This vitamin is now recognized as necessary for health at all ages and for growth of children An important fact about vitamin A is that animals can eat green leaves leaves and miraculously transform the carotene content of these vege- vege tabes into vitamin A. A The cows cow's capacity for eating and digesting huge amounts of bulky food gives butterfat a vitamin A value higher t per gram than that of any other t food except green leaves them them- themselves themselves k i selves yellow yeow vegetables and liver 4 Dr Henry C. C Sherman of Colum Columbia bia university points out that the cow performs a most important service in bringing vitamin A values from the bulky and fibrous plant tissues tissues tissues sues into the fat of her milk which is readily utilized as human food Any substitution of other fats for butterfat in foods is dubious econ econ- economy economy omy so far as it tends to lower the vitamin A value of the dietary This fact was dramatically illus illus- illustrated 1 I during the World war when I Denmark exported too much of its butterfat depriving a large part of the population of its usual source of vitamin A. A The eye disease I due to vitamin A I deficiency increased steadily until 1918 When the German blockade I prevented further exports of butter and it again became available to I the Danish people the eye disease was checked J |