Evening star., 1926-01-22
FOOD AND HEALTH
BY WINIFRED STUART GIBBS.
Food Specialist.

Don't you remember the Oysters
who stood in a row listening TO the
! harangue of the Carpenter? C.u't
you see the trusting faces as pictured
in the illustrations of the original
Alice? And those sorrowful lines
wherein the willy Carpenter suggests
that after a pleasant rum" they
best be going home again"
But answer came there none.
And this is scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one"'
From that day to the present the
oyster has been popularly supposed
TO stand for a general type of non
intelligence. This year, however. he
has staged an elaborate Comeback"
after his eclipse Of 1924. Therefore,
he may be said to have disproved the
accusation of subnormal intelligence.
For in the season just ahead we are
assured on the best authority that
we may "eat every one" that appears
| on our table and without fear or dan
ger of disease
What Of the oysters food value?
Il1ne was when any such question
would have been answered by the
statement that. considered as body
building food, oysters were very eX-
/ DenSiVe. The statement was usually
amplified TO include COMPARISON with
one other food. and this method is
never satisfactory from the scientific
| point of view.
The times move however. and later
work In nutrition has disclosed the
! Tact that oysters contain various ele-
ments of equal Importance in the
I dietary scheme with protein or tissue
/ builders
! When one stops to think that oys-
f,., NJ.
! phosphorus for process regulating
and iodin for keeping the thyroid
/ gland in order, it is easy to see why
! they are important foods. Luckily,
! we have passed the stage when the
/ number Of calorics of energy fur
| nlshcd by any food is taken as the
hnal test of the value of that food,
Like most other foods, the oyster
| has majoI. and minor points. The
I iodin contribution is, of course, recog-
! nized as one Of the chief Of these
! on the other hand. if we We're 10 re
I turn TO the old way Of evaluating
I food values, on a basis of energy and
| protein, the oyster, while expensive,
| would still be valuable For the
| bodybuilding material minute as is
| its quantity, is of such character as
| 10 be especially acceptable TO weak
| stomachs." Ask any sufferer from
/
! rived most Solace, and his answer is
| likely To be, Paw oysters and cham
! paEne."
! Furthermore, there is that in the
/ composition of the oyster that makes
| II almost ediEestcd. The mere
| crushing of a fat bivalve between the
| te"th sets the first Of the digestive
! juices at work. and this Juice. the
saliva. contains an element that goes
( Tar toward completely digesting the
oyster.
Will" oyster stew has long been
known as savory and comforting
/ dish. other methods OF preparation
! have been somewhat limited Fried
| oysters may be too much for a deli.
| cate digestion, while that same di-
| gestlve system may welcome a dish
/ Of broiled oysters served with crisp
{ celery hearts
! Scalloping may, unless great care
IS exercised, render the oysters tough.
! 50 we come back 10 the stews. the
broiled plates and the favorite half
shells as perhaps the ideal methods
; Of preparation.
While on the subject of the food
value Of oysters one must not forget
! 10 remind the home dietitian that.
| like other fish, and. in fact. all vege-
I table foods, oysters are the opposite
| of alkaline when digested. Therefore.
| TO balance the diet properly in this
| respect we must combine them with
| celery, or some other vegeta ble-pota
| toes-and preferably a fruit dessert
| on Of ice cream
Copyright. 1920