New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-13
FOOD VALUE OF RICE.
TITS HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS.
4 Well Balanced Food-Very
EnsiLu DigeSted.

bs ,ntarest manifested in the article on the rice
industry of this country which appeared IN a re-
cent issue of this paper ana more pa III
those portions OF the story which touched-lignuy,
q ia trleupon the food value OF the staple would
seem to indicate that discussion OF TINS last
would prove acceptable TO Ihe Irlounes H'eui'
gent readers The subject is proilhc one, ana II
&c not POSSIBLE to exhaust 1t in one essay; but the
,rduatrv has assumed such importance to the
United States and the product, properly appre-
c,ated is likely to be of such value TO its people.
that whatever space is demanded will De mos
profitably expended IN their behalf
A knowledge of the uses of food is necessary 10
proper understanding of the methods OF comparing
tbe values of the various kinds. This knowledge
is but recently acquired by the worlds scientists
themselves and. therefore. it may be assumed that
tn. Law reader, however generally informed, may
find brief non-technical explanation advantageous
The substances of the body similar to the foods
which nourish II, possessing the same chemical
elements-some fifteen to twenty-five principal ones
being oxygen, hydrogen. carbon nitrogen cal
oium phosphorus and sulphur and these are
combined in great variety OF compounds, IN the
foods as In the body. The most important OF these
compounds in both food and body. are proteine'
fats carbohydrates mineral matters and wafer
Now. the body may be considered as machine
and the food its fuel, the energy Of which IS
turned into heat and power; but this is not ALL 1or
the nutritive ingredients of food also build all the
organs and tissues OF the body and keep them In
repair.
And it is not muscular action only which con-
sumes material-material that must be resuppheo
through the agency of food for 1t is expended with
the exercise of every thought and feeling. There
fore as Professor Atwater expresses 1t, THE chle1
of food to form material OF the pooy anu
repair its wastes and TO yield heat and furnlsh
power" To find out then, the degree in which 1000
answers the bodys needs. the chemist first reduces
the body into it's component parts. which are;
Water, so per cent: mineral matter or ash, o TO
per cent; protene IS per cent; fats. % per cent
and carbohydrates about l per cent, the remainder
being refuses. and then he proceeds to ascertain
how nearly the food can establish and MAINTAIN
these proportions and at the same time supply
It is not to be understood that food must con-
tain these elements in the same proport4ns as
ingredients are such to repair the oody VAST
by forming material in the proper proportions,
tax upon the body In the operation of appropriating
the constituents of the food 10 It's uses aor as bi
tissue building heat and power furnishing q pot
vent ana yst the oe bodv as to greatly impair the
value Of the food. Again, the food might, its
sesn eonsdsEed as whole d vs give s high The per e
sentiai of proportion. For Instance, it might fall
an ADEQUATE tissue buider-and seven -eighths of
the food consumed 1t is estimated by so high an
authority DR.. S. a. Knapp is expended IN the
stiH another thing must be considered in deter
No II contains refIse and to what extent AS an
example: The hens egg contains IL per cent OF
refuse (sheD and 655 per cent OF water both non;
nutrients and beef contains 1853 per cent Of refuse
Cbones etc.) and SIT per cent Of water while rice
it is to be seen that in estimating the value Of
food the moro important are its energy furnish
freedom from non-nutrients. In these, rice is su-
perior to beef. or wheat bread (white> for as the
No. a. by W O. Atwater Ph D, United states
Department Of Agricuture1 VIII show it CONTAINS ms,
heat and furnish power: