Show ACIDS IN FRUITS HELP NUTRITION research arch work carried on 01 in recent years fruits have been recognized increasingly luc rens in ly in recent years as important items of diet in part because it lias has been discovered that atiat they are excellent sources of vitamins vita mines homeer Ho weer the fruits have other important constituents notably the adds acids or on which construct lie research work lias has been done in recent years by chemists I 1 in 11 tile the united states stales department of agriculture citric acid and malle malic acid usually both in the sanie same fruit haie hae been found to be the principal fruit acids tile the acklie oddity y 0 of oranges ranges to lemons grapefruit gri I 1 pe times limes and roost most of the berries Is III due almost entirely to citric acid apples and quinces owe their sour tang almost entirely to malic acid while peaches apil cots and peals have a mixture of the two the blackberry add acid Is called and E K nelson of the bureau of ch chemistry eillis t ry find and soils describes this as a peculiar lecul I 1 ar fruit acid not found elsewhere in nature tire acid Is closely related to citric acid possessing the same empirical formula but a different structure in a table giving the acidity of more thull than a score of fruits mr nelson kelson records that the tamarind with 8 per cent acidity Is tile the sourest fruit more than twice tice as acid as the lemon with 3 88 per cent the tamarinds tama rinds acidity Is due almost exclusively to tartaric acid the grape Is the only fruit with wit i a considerable content of tartaric tartar lc acid in the body most of tile the acids are oxidized readily the sodium potassium or calcium with which they combine remaining to counteract acid conditions in the body and to help prevent excess of acidity |