Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-09-23
SUGAR AS a FOOD.
Tho Hunger for Candy Natura
cravine-sweets Regarded as
From the literary Disesl


1t may be said that sugar has not
generally been taken seriously as a
food substance. Apparently on the
principle that what is liked is usually
injurious, the passionate craving for
sugar seems to have been regarded as
Il sign that it should be avoided. When
the craving was satisfied it MAS done
by eating the sugar to excess and the
logical result was looked upon as d.
confirmation of the injurious charac-
ter of the food Recently, however. the
food value of the substance has come
To be recognized by scientific men. and
Il writer in the Dietetic and tNgicnc
Gazette urges that we cease regarding
1t as luxury alsl use ii seriously IL
proper quantities. We read:
Sugar as substance marketed tn
approximately chemically pure form H.
comparatively recent addition to hu-
n,an foodstuffs. Indeed, ii is probable
that maple sugar was used by tIl
American aborigines earlier than any
sugar of the Same grade was known /,
the inhabitants of the old world
We have not Yet become accustomed
To taking sugar seriously as food. but
persist I'm regarding it as a luxury
which appeals to the palate. undoubt-
eddy a good deal of the sugar consumed
is taken by those who need it least and
who are least able to assimilate it, Peo-
pie in fair circumstances. not exercis-
ing much. generally use 130-l30 grams
a day, estimated from grocery bills, to
say nothing of the sugar of fruits and
that eaten as candy. Candy is usually
eaten between meals, and is not re-
garded as food. Yet, not infrequent-
ly. pound Il day is eaten. thus supply
ing a source of energy equal to that re-
quired by the system, supplementary tn
that eaten at the table. There is nu
| question but that sugar ingested in
,Stf RI
tates the mucous membrane by it's con
| centration; disturbs osmotic currents;
tends to ferment and overtaXes the gy
colytic and glycogenic functions
On the other hand, 1t has been well
! established that il used nationally and
regularly, sugar is easily cared for by
the nutritive organs. produces no harm
ful results. and supplies large amount
of heat and energy. A good deal If not
the most of the trouble produced by
sugar is due to the notion that it is not
a food. but a luxury. Hence. the per-
fectly natural appetite for 1t is resisted
| until 1t becomes a craving to which the
individual eventually yields by a die
tetic excess which deserves the term
spree The same abstinence and cx-
cessive ingcstion of amy other food. be-
| tween meals and i'm addition to q full
| diet. would produce harm"
AT the present retail price of about
30 cents pound. the author goes on 10
say, the average consumption OF sugar
| represents about IA cents II day. II
other food were equally cheap. the tota
| daily cost of raw food material wolilC
| be g. 10 10 cents per capita. In gen
4 cral, sugar is less expensive to prepare
1 for eating than most other foodstuffs
| Says The writer:
Even the hlgne: grades of candy
could be prepared with no greater trout
bile than many other recognized des-
serts. il cooks took the trouble tn Learn
| his branch of their art, while the re
| suit would be. ON the average more APP
| petizing. more easily digestible. anG
more nutritious This point in dietetit
economies has recently been impressed
| on us by inspecting the extremely sim.
| pie equipment Of a candy Kitchen
! whose output is retnled at so cents !;
| pound, including considerable paper"
In overhanling the seven submarine
/ cables between Italy and MoSsiina sew
cr:h Of them were found to he badly
! damaged by heat the Shp:it hing anf