VITAMIN-CONSCIOUS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 8, 25 January 1937, Page 6

VITAMIN-CONSCIOUS

* 1 ll^l ■ Orange Shortage Causes . Awakening FRUIT AND HEALTH Tbe recent agitation tiirougbout tbe Donlinion for the Government to allow the importation of great quantities of oianges into New Zealand from Australia bas, besides drawing attention to tbe present potato-citrous war between the two eister Dominions made many more people "vitamin-con-scious," as it was emphasised by tbose who opposed the restrictions og orange unpoitations tbat such restriction Was affecting tbe health of people, because the 'orange was. a ricfi source of vitamins. Ihe result is tbat people wbo previously ate fruit because they liked it and never gave a thought to tbe food-value or otherwise of what they ate, have now begun to realise tbat tber© is more in fruit than they imagined. Hawke's Bay is no exception to this ti end, and while tbe orange shortage existed tbere was a eorrespondingly increased demand for tomatoes and carrots, To tbose people wbo recognised the value of vifiamins .the shortage of oranges was solved to some extent by the substitution for this fruit of carrots and tomatoes, Neither of these vegetables, however, is of such wide appeal or so attraetive to consume, and in consequence there were some people who preferred to forget about their vitamins and eat a mere tasty, though possibly less nutritious fruit. . Vitamins are a more or less recent diseovery, althdugb their presence or absence in foods has long been recognised as having a distinct heanng on tbe health of humans. Outbreaks of scurvy ih tbe old sailing-ship days were l'ealised by Captain James Oook, tbe t'amous navigator, to be due to a lack of fresh fruit and Vegetables, and tnis be corrected by Supplying his creWs with lime juice. It is known to-day tbat scurvy is caused by the absence of vitamin O, and Gaptain Cook's remedy is still recognised as an excellent precautionary measure. An authority was consulted regarding vitamins generally, and be agve the following table of vitamins, their pro-N perties and the foods that contain them. A relative measure of the amouut of vitamin present in eaeh food *is given by the number following it, 5 indieating a very high content. ' Vitamin A, tbe deficiency of wbicb may lead to blindness, respiratory j troubles, or constipation, is destroyed in tbe presence of air, especially in heat and sunlight. Foods ricb in the content of this vitamin are : Cod Iiver Ooil, 5 butter, egg yolk, 3 ; milk (unpasteurised), liver, kidney, beart, mutton and beef fat, fatty fish such as terakibi and mullet, 2; green vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, 2; wholemeal flour. 1. . ' Neuritis is caused by tbe deficiency of vitamin B. Foods recommended afe cereal products containing tbe whole grain such as whole meal, wheaten fiour, dried seeds such as peas, beans, whole barley, brown rice, nuts, egg yolk, internal organs sueb as liver, beart, brain, kidney, 2; oatmeal root vegetables, potato, onions milk (unpasfceurised preferably) 1 ; dried .veast, marmite, meat germ 3. When tbere is a lack of vitamin C scurvy is likely to develop. Foods tbat contain this vitamin ar© oranges, lemons, grape fruit, mandarins, tomatoes, raw green vegetables, 3; swede turnips, raw carrots (if young), raspberries, blackberries, peacbes, 2; most other fruits fit least 1 ; green vegetables cooked a short time without soda, potatoes boiled, raw milk, liver cooked a short time, 1. Vitamin D, the absence of which c-auses rickets, is found in sunshine, cod liver oil, cream, green vegetables, 2. _ ' Vitamin E, whicb is needed as aguard against sterlity, is found in wbeat germ oil, lettuce and peas.