Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
Table and Kitchen.
Value Of Matted and Predigested
Foods


| modern bugbear, leading to more cases
Of mental Indigestion through the morbid
and nervous fretting over the possible I'M
wholesomeness Of what we eat than any
other cause.
There is no question that this fear has
been fostered to a deplorable degree unin-
tentionaliy, we hope, by certain real or as
sumed faddists, who, we are willing to be-
lieve have in most cases had the desire to
promote the health and physical comfort Of
all, but have unjustly arraigned some of
our most wholesome and simplest of nat
ural foods. And all because the prepara-
ton of such has been left entirely to the
manipulation of persons too woefully ig-
norant to be intrusted with such vitality
important and responsible an office.
The dyspeptic, ever on the alert for some
remedy to relieve him Of the consequence Of
the sins of his willfulness and ignorance, is
really responsible for nine-tenths of the
gross receptions in the form of so-called
health foods, etc, which, harmless or 9TH
erwise, are flooding the markets. For he
makes himself willing, eager experiment
tai sacrifice to everything advertised to
cure his self-inflicted ills, real or imaginary.
While man is an adaptable animal, and
can live on the most diverse kinds of food
If he is accustomed to this diversity, he
will learn in time that he cannot treat
his stomach and other digestive functions
as though they were things apart from
an experimental station of himself in order
to test any and all of such unknown guam
titles which are guaranteed to relieve him
and nature of all effort or thought in re-
gard to the digestion of the food he eats.
While do not intend to make sweeping
assertions or unjust criticisms, we do de-
sire that the public would make themselves
a little more responsible for their physical
wellbeing, which will necessitate their
doing their own thinking, judging and ana
lying If they would only start out with
the first simple truth that nature knows
more about chemical combinations and
nice distinctions than man in his short
span of life may be permitted to learn, and
that she has a chemical laboratory no hu-
man ingenuity may surpaSs or even APP
preach; and that she supplies direct from
her hand every element required for our
sustenance. with the supposition that we
will employ the common sense with which
we are endowed to serve these substances
in proper and attractive form as human
food If we would only do all this we would
find that lfe's problem would be a simple
as life would be enjoyable.
Matted Foods.
The true value and Importance attached
to the meaning of this term is not right
fully understood as a rule. Matted foods"
has become a hackneyed expression which
comes trippingly to the tongue only, while
in the minds of most individuals there may
be a vague and uncertain idea as to just
what the word does mean. They associate
the term with tonic beverages and certain
classes of prepared foods, but only as some
thing in the nature of medicines, bearing
this trademark. While there is consider
able truth in this merely guessed at but
not actual knowledge, the term was not
originally selected by the earnest and con-
scientious producers of these special pro-
ducts at haphazard, or as something likely
to excite curiosity or arouse interest suf-
ficient to create large sales of money
making article. Whatever harm the pres
ent and too general use of the term may
do honest intention first prompted the pre-
pairing of some of the common food SUBJ
stances in this manner, the promoters be-
lieVing it quite possible to benefit large
percentage of humanity-the semi-invalids,
the weaklings and the infants, by forestan-
ing nature by the predigeztion of starchy
substances, and in this way relieve the
digestive organs, which are so generally
imposed upon in health by careless and in
sufficient mastication of foods and aiding
the same when sickness or other causes
prevent the healthy performance of the
digestive functions.
The digestion of starches being in SO
many cases imperfectly done, science turned
it's attention to discovering some artificial
means by which the work could be accom-
plished, and the health of the individual
maintained in normal and fit condition.
The natural and unhampered process Of
starch digestion followed and understood, is
should fail to do the small part required of
him-to cook and eat these foods prop
erly, when so much of his comfort and
happiness depends on the right way.
those who suffer from indigestion of starch
badly cooked starch. No food can be
utilized in the body as food that cannot be
diffused throughout the walls Of the diges-
tive canal. Starch paste is unable to pass,
like sugar, through the animal membrane,
and must be changed into soluble sugar be-
fore 1t can be absorbed by the walls of the
lower part of the digestive canal, and this
sugar is known as maltese.
The saliva and the pancreatic juice of the
animal body contain minute quantities of
substances which act upon the cooked
starch, changing 1t into sugar-a valuable
food-and hence enabling it to pass through
the walls Of the digestive canal and enter
the blood.
Young children and those whose diges-
tive powers weak are often given
matted foods under the impression that
the diastase present in these will assist the
action of the saliva and pancreatic juice.
Admitting the possibility of all CONNER
cial matted preparations containing the
valuable property-diastase-t results of
many of these foods are not uniformly good
and often very disappointing In their vary
ing outcome, the source of failure possibly
being in most cases in not giving proper
attention to the preparation Of the food,
and very often due to want Of care, as COM
mon sense is not always the prerogative Of
those who have the care Of the feeding Of
the sick and helpless young. The partially
digested stage claimed for either the malt
ed starches or the grains makes them diff
cult to preserve in good condition fer any
satisfactory length of time with the best
of care, and they do not get this in many
instances, but quite the reverse they are
liable to changes which will render them
valueless, If not harmful, for the purpose
designed in the already weak and disor-
ganized digestive tract.
Infants but few months old should not
be given any form Of starch food as the
ptyalin is not formed in the saliva for sew
eral months after birth. and they have
neither saliva nor any other digestive juice
to accomplish the necessary conversion of
the starch into sugar, and artificial means
should not be resorted to in order to give
them food that nature did not design for
them. In many cases the condition of the
grown individual is almost Identical to the
young infant as regards their digestive
powers. and in such cases the same natural
diet suitable for the babe Is best for the
older person. Starch, being a sugar-making
product. cannot either in It's natural or pre-
= digested state be given to some individuals.
There is but one emergency when "predi-
gested' foods are permissible-that Is, when
the digestive juices are unequal to the task
of extracting the nutritive constituents
from the ordinary food by mingling with it
and saturating 1t thoroughly. When these
do not flow at the invitation of the stimu-
lating flavor, odor or SOME suggestive real