Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-20
PAST MASTER OF BUNK.

Take it as whole, the food fad
dists shoot more bunk than any
ether group of people running
! loose. They make more wild as
sertions and say more things with
less proof than anybody else,
One sub-group of the large
! group are those who say what
foods should be eaten together
and what foods eaten at the same
meal cause explosions, fits. falling
OF the hair, and other dreadful
| phenomena.
With this whole pseudo-science
there is just enough truth to serve
| as foundation for superstructure
| of fantasy.
For instance, meat and potatoes
make a good combination from the
standpoint of the palate and from
the scientific standpoint as well,
When there are few thousand
such facts scientifically determined
and checked by practical use, there
will be material with which to build
real structure in place of the
shams now foisted on an unusus-
pecting public.
Recent literature contributes a
value Of a food by it's calories, its
proteins, its minerals, and its vita
mines. When vitamines were COM
ing into their own a new standard
was added to the list-namely: abil-
ity to keep young animals growing
properly to prevent certain eye
disease, scurvy and beriberi.
Now McCollum and his associates
SnuuoSt tho fOllnWipp additions.
Fertility. success in rearing young,
longevity. preservation of youthful
character, and stability Of the ner-
vous system. Using these standards
he has tested the comparative food
values Of various foods and some
combinations Of foods. 1t is known
that because of the difference in
certain substances called amidoacids
in proteids these important foods
are of different food values.
These are some of his conclusions:
When the proteins of cereals and
iegumes are eaten with meat. milk,
liver, or kidney. the food require
ments are better met than when
potatoes are eaten with the cereals
and legumes, for example, peas.
When eating a meal of beans or peas
nothing is gained by eating two or
more varieties. but there is a gain
from adding peas and beans to a
diet of bread or cereal.
To supply the shortcomings of the
protein molecule Of vegetables such
as barley, peas, rye, corn. and beans,
animal foods such as muscle, kid
ney, and liver are better than milk.
When growth substance A and lime
are needed, milk is better than most
meats. A somewhat though not eX-
actly similar observation is that of
Steenbock and his associates.
They found that there is good
deal Of relation between the color of
foods and the amount of growth
substance they contain. If butter
is yellow it is apt to contain a good
deal of fat soluble A, but If it Is
white we should eye it with sus-
picion.
If it is fed to young children they
must get other foods, to supply the
deficiency in growth substance. We
need not more than state that "all
is not gold that glitters," and that
most of the yellow in butter as it
is sold is bought as powder in
neatly wrapped and labeled pack
ages.
Studying the golden yellow milk
and butter made in June, when the
pastures were rich and the pale
white stuff made when the cows
are stall fed. Steenbock found that
the growth substance did not range
through so broad a field as did the
color. but. speaking generally, yell
low uncolored butter had much Of
it and white had little. Yellow beef
fats had much, white but little.
However, green peas had more than
yellow. Therefore. in serving yell
low peas it is more necessary to add
butter than is the case when green
peas are being fed.