The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-21
THE POTATO AS A FOOD
by o.. }. n. Kellogg. Battle Creek.

The following articles on the This
Special Dictctc Virtues OF the Pota-
to-" by DR.. J. II. Kellosg, OF BATH,
| Creek, a food authority. Is one Of tn,
best ever written about the potato:
Soon after the potato was intro
dused into Europe in the sixteenth
century the ridiculous notion some
how got anoat that the use of thu
potato was the cause OF leprosy. which
at that time was quite prevalent In
most European countries. The prcju
dice which was thus created against
this most valuable OF all garden vcge-
Various malicious libcls against the
good name of this most innocent and
wholesome Of foodstuffs arc still ailoat
Muhitudes believe the potato to be
difficult Of digestion. Even physicians
often prohibit it's use on the SUPPOSE
ton that it is likely to ferment in the
stomach-a general mistaken notion
as the writer will show. The belief is
quitc general that the potato especially
promotes fat-making, and hence that
its use must be avoided 10y persons
who have tendency To obesity. This
is also an error All fouds tend to
produce obesity when taken In Excess
sive quantity; that Is. more than the
individual needs TO maintain his nutri-
ton on equilibrium. No foods pro-
niI.sN nf uhnn limited i'm
quantity To actual daily bodily needs.
The potato is truly most remark
able product. IL contains within its
aseptic covering rich store of one
of the most easily disestible OF al
forms OF starch. The observation oi
shown most couclusively that the
starch of the potato Is more easily
digested and appropriated by the body
than the starchcs of wheat, corn aud
most other cereals. In laboratory tests
made by the writer it was found that
potato starch digested in less than
one sixth OF the tIme of cereal starch
es. The experience of hundreds OF
physicians in the treatment of diabetes
has shown that in many cases the
starch of the potato is more easily as
simulated or better utilized than other
forms Of starch.
Potato cruel made from specially
prepared potato meal or the pulp Of
baked potatoes has been found in Ger
many OF very great service in the
80 ,,,,. 4.
tato starch is far better for this pur-
pose than cornstarch. arrowroot and
similar substances, which are pure
starch and cannot be properly Consid >
cred as foods. The long continued use
of these starches in the feeding OF
Young infants often results more dis
astrously.
The potato is not only an easily
digestiblc foodstuff but possesses much
higher nutritive value than is generally
supposed According to Gautier, about
one fourth OF the weight of the pO-
tato is food substance, consisting
chiefly (ninc- olevenths) OF starch. OF
the remainder. three iifths arc protein,
the tissue building element, and two
tifths alkaline salts in combination
with citric and malic acids, the acids
of the lemon and the apple.
prom d dietetic standpoint. the po-
tato is perhaps slightly deficient in
protein. though this statement would
be disputed by some Psychologists
whose experiments appear TO demon
strate that the amount of protein con-
tanned in the potato is quite sufficient
for ordinary bodily needs.
The potato is certainly deficient in
fats. Of which 1t contains almost none,
because of the fact that it is not
like 50 many of our vegetable foods. a
seed. but a curiuusly modified and
enormously neshy tubor. This defic-
iency in fat must always be remem
bered in the use of the potato, and
the lack must be made up by the adj
foodstutf rich in fat
What the potato lacks in fat and
protein, however, IL makes up IN salts,
which constitute nearly per cent of
its dry substance and are perhaps its
most characteristic quality from a
dietic standpoint and one Of it's chief
eNcellences. These salts consist chief
ly or potash. and I'm the ordinary forE'
IN which they are supplied do most
important service in maintaining the
alkaline condition Of the blood. which
is essential to good health and re-
gistance to disease. Meats contain.
very great excess of acid-forming cle-
ments and tend to acidify the blood.
Get calls have some tendency in the
same direction. The lowering Of the
alkalinity Of the blood by acid-form-
ing foods. especially by the free use
Of meats. is Enthusiastically one Of the
chief causes OF the rapid Increase in
chronic diseases. tho mortality from
which has doubled within thirty years.
causing n loss annually Of $4,000 more
lives than would occur IL the average