Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-15
SOURCE OF ENERGY
Wonderful Results Obtained in
Experiments With Fruits
and Nuts.
COMFORT FOR vEGETARIANs
Old Fashioned Apple Butter One of the
Best Things to Eat, Say Agri-
cultural Experts.

Genuine comfort for the vegetariaus
and fruitarians is given in bulletin
which has recently been issued by the
department of agriculture on the sub
ject of fruit as food, says Washing
ton correspondent of the New York
Globe.
Comparison is made of the value of
fruits from a nutritivc standpoint and
their cost with the nutritive value and
cost of other foods. 1t is shown that
10 cents will on an average purchase
fully as much energy when spent for
fresh fruits and more when spent for
dried fruits than for lean meas. but
much less than when expended for
wheat flour. From the data us Il whole
1t is apparent that fruits are reason
ably cheap sources of energy in the
diet.
For instance, 10 cents worth of fresh
apples will furnish 1 ,4GI calories of en-
ergy, while 10 cents worth of porter
house steak will furnish only about Il
third as much vim, or Al calories of
energy
One of the best things to eat from
the standpoint of production of energy
is plain, old fashioned apple butter
Ten cents worth of apple butter pro
duces four times as much energy as
10 cents worth of steak or mutton.
Such plebeian substance as goOSeberry
jam will produce twice the energy of
steak or mutton and nearly as much
energy as milk. Generally speaking,
jams. preserves, etc. are high in their
capacity to produce energy.
The fact that bread is the staff OF
life, however, Is Indicated in the sta
tistiCs, showing that for 10 cents one
can buy 5000 calories of energy. or
more than can be had for this sum by
investment in fruit, meat, milk or
vegetables.
The data published in the bulletin
is based on experiments made by
Professor NJ. f. Jaffa at the California
agricultural experiment station i'll CO.
operation with the nutrition invcstiga-
tons that have been carried on by the
department of agriculture at Washing
ton.
Fruits and Nuts Good Fare.
Dietary studies have been made at
the California agricultural experiment
station. and it was found that a fruit
and nut diet supplied the subjects with
amounts of protein and energy which
are directly comparable with those OBJ
tained by many other persons from 4
mixed diet, though in general the guam
titles were smaller than are supplied
by the diet of the average family. 1t
should he said" according to the Of
fetal report, that the persons living
on fruit and nut diet apparently
maintained their normal health and
strength. and it is only fair to con-
clude that If for any reason such a
course seems desirable it is perfectly
possible to select a diet made up of
fruits and nuts which, for long periods
at any rate, will supply the body with
the requisite protein and energy. as
was shown by a detailed study of the
results of the California experiments.
In such a diet nuts were the principal
sources of protein and nuts. olives or
the expressed olive oil the chief source
of fat, while fruits, fresh and dried
supplied the bulk of the carbohy-
drates"
The department of agriculture does
not go so far as to conclude that q
frIitarian diet in general is equal OF
superior to the ordinary mixed diet
but it does assert that fruits and nuts
should he considered n fairly ecOnom
ical source of nutritive material" II
commends these foods in combination
with other foods.