The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1922-08-08
vIrAmlNEs NOT ELIXIR OF LIFE


The following article was written
by p. K. Holmes, M. D., head of the
Department of Hygiene and Public
Health, University of Kentucky:
1t seems to be popular today for
everyone to think IN terms of vita
mines. More is now being written and
said about vitamines than about any
other phase of diet. When a notable
scientific discovery is made its i'm
portance is apt to become over
emphasized. A lot of fool stun" Is
now being written and said about
vitamines. The food faker and the
patent medicine vender are working
over time on the Job.
The average reader does not
know enough about vitamines to re-
flute their arguments. He is made to
think of vitamines as the "elixirs of
life" These people would make us
believe that their particular vitamine
preparations are the only links be-
tween disease and health, or life and
death. Some of these preparations
may be of questionable benefit; 9th
ers are absolutely worthless.
Through extravagant claims sick
people and others are led to put de-
pendence upon these questionable or
worthless preparations to the exclu-
sion of those foods which are vital
to health and life itself.
Until comparatively recently chem
lists and psychologists thought that
diet consisted entirely Of those ele-
ments which supply heat and energy
and build tissue; in other words, II
our meals contained the proper guam
titles of carbohydrates cheat and en-
ergy producers), proteins Tissue
builders), fats { heat and energy pro-
ducers), and organic &. salts Cline,
iron, PHOSPHORUS, etc. they would
be completed. Recent experiments
show that these alone are not suf-
ficient to maintain health and life.
The substances which have to be
added to these in order to maintain
health and life are called vitamines.
The word vitamine means some
thing essential or vital. Vitamines
are called accessory food factors"
As yet, no one knows just what they
are, what their chemical formula Is,
what they look like, or what is their
direct action. We have learned
through experimentation that certain
foods contain these essentials while
others do not. When animals and
men are fed entirely upon foods
which do not contain vitamines char
arteristic diseases and death results.
Vitamines are SO plentifully dis
tributed in our various articles OF
diet that it is entirely unnecessary
to resort to the use of yeast, raisins'
patent foods and preparations in or
der to have them supplied. While II
Is true that vitamines, Of which we
know little about, are essential, II Is
also true that other things, such as
mineral salts, of which we know
much more about, are equally as o.
sential.
Vitamines are probably not manu-
featured in the body Of animal or
man, except when they are supplied
for this purpose In the food eaten.
Milk cows eating food poorly sup
piled with vitamines will also be
deficient in them. Nursing mothers
may determine the vitamines supply
of their babies by their own diet.
vitamines are made only by plants.
Their presence In the aesh OF AMI
mails depends entirely upon the diet
OF the animals. Thus butter and milk
are rich In them only as they are
abundantly supplied to the COW.
At present, yitemines are vfvides
into three classes. A, B and @. Vita
nine A Is called Eat soluble A. VIA
mine B is soluble In water and Is
aoleld water soluble B. The third Ia
called vitamine G. vtamine A IL not
as widely distributed in nature as
yitamine B. vitamine A Il ,abundant
m milk, butter. eggs and In the
glandular organs Oliver, kidneys, etc.)
of animals. and in small amounts In
the seeds of such grains as wheat
rye. barley. oats, etc. Vitamine B Is
abundant In yeast, in the germs OF
all seeds. in peas, beans, leafy vege-
tables and to small extent In milk.
II is almost absent In sugar, starches'
refined fiours. fats and oils. Vita
mine C is abundant In most all fruits
aud especially IN ersAsss and Lem