Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-13
Shall We Give Up Meat?
Literary Digest.

No, replies Miss NJ Helen Keith assistant in
animal nutrition in the University OF Illinois.
Writing in the Scientific American Supplement
under the heading as Vegetarianism Based on
Sound Scencel" she reviews theories and results
on the subject and concludes that man prospers
best on a mixed animal and vegetable diet Inns,
Of course, may be correct, while IT is also true
that many Of the human family inJure themselves
by excessive meat eating. Mss Keith neey
admits this while asserting that we may lnJure
ourselves as effectively, though in different
way, by not eating any meat at all.
After quoting Sarah Bernhard, Senator La
Toilette, Rodin the French sculptor, and WI
and giving their personal testimony as to ITS
effects in their own cases, she goes on: Such
testimonials as these are good, as far as they go
There is little doubt that many person who has
abused his body by overeatng, would be much
benefited by nAictng upon himself severe re-
strctions as to the amount, the kind and the
time Of his eating Testimony comes, however,
also from others who have found that tor them
selves the attempt to live on the vegetarian diet
has resulted sooner or later, in series OF all
ments and an impaired nervous condition
1.-THE Psychologists and nutritional chemists
have generally put it about this way: Although
proteins, carbohydrates, fats and salts are found
in both classes Of food, meat is par excellence
a protein food and the cereal grains and other
vegetable products are carbohydrate foods Fats
and oils are abundant in both kingdoms; but, as
matter of fact those which have been most
used as foods are of animal origin. Protelns
carbohydrates and fats are all used by the body
for the production of heat and muscular energy
protens also serve SPECIFIC need as building
material in replacing the wear and tear OF the
body. Since all are present in vegetable foods
as we'll as in animal foods, it is possible for
person to subsist on food of either type to the
exclusion OF the other; but large use oil meat
means large amount OF protein, and the question
OF the liberal use of meat involves the much
discussed question OF the desirability OF a high
protein or low-protein diet. 1t is generally
recognized that large excess OF protein is un-
desirable, and diet made up entirely of meat
could only be endured by those living in the arctic
regions and under strenuous exercise. On the
other hand, vegetable diet generally has so low
a protein content that large bulk of it must be
eaten in order to secure a sufficient supply OF
protein"
When food is scarce, the greatest drain on the
physical well-being is due to insufhclency OF pro-
TENS A certain amount OF these must be given
with the food, or the body must break down its
own tissues to get them. man weighing $50
pounds contains about thirty pounds of protein
or 20 per cent OF his live weight If he is starving
he loses five parts per thousand OF his protein store
daily. To prevent this loss, proteins from animal
sources are more effective than those from plant
sources.
THE numbers in standard protein tables
show that much larger amounts are required OF
the bean protein, the bread protein and the In
dan-corn protein than of the meat protein or
the milk protein. Such observations as these
show plainly the advantage OF animal protein over
vegetable proteins in the extreme emergency
Some of the vegetable proteins are complete
in themselves, but the presence OF the shoddy
necessitates the purchase of larger order OF
corn or wheat, for instance, than would be neces-
III "a ~ ftna cnf
to a vegetable diet, therefore, it is advisable to
provide a liberal and varied supply of protein
unless one wishes to reduce the body protein
AS judged by these considerations it is much safer
to include meat milk and eggs in the diet.
. Furthermore, during the last few years there
has been brought out some positive evidence OF
injury resulting from an exclusively vegetable
diet In one set of experiments such effects were
observed in several species OF mammalia even
when the diet was made up Of mixed cereals
legumes and fresh vegetables. If fresh beef, OK
liver eggs or milk were added to the vegetable
diet, the health of the animal was protected. In
animals that died as result OF an exclusive diet
OF vegetable substances there were signs of path
illogical conditions in the central nervous system
and in the alimentary canal, and of astrological
changes in the organs. The experiments seem
to demonstrate that the mixed diet supplies ele
ments the lack of which in vegetable products
may cause injury to vital tissues.
"The general conclusion to be drawn from
the scientific evidence is, therefore that the meat
free diet is not as safe the diet containing meat
while in many respects the food constituents
from animal and vegetable sources are altogether
equivalent and repaceable and while it is I'M
doubleday possible for some people to live in
perfect heath and comfort on well-regulated diet
selected from vegetable sources, with the addition
OF milk and eggs, the selection OF a suitable
variety from these limited sources requires spe-
cial care in the choice and probably special at
tention to the manner of preparation, II may be
said emphaticaly that the narrow restriction Of
the diet to cereals leads to serious injury"