Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-09
SAYS WTAM|N D
I. ONLY ONE OF SIX
Expert in Physics ReCiteS
Values of Various Heat
Elements of Food.
BY H. II. SHELDON,


We have heard so much about vita
min D. the sunshine vitamin, of late,
that we have almost forgotten that
there are any others. There are, in
fact, five others The popularity Of
vitamin D is perhaps due to several
causes. 1t is the first one which we
have been able to- produce chemically
at will. This is done by the 1rradla-
ton of the chemical substance ergostrol
with ultra-v violet light.
The direct use of sunlight as health
agent is also appealing. We are re-
ferred to by writer's as sun worshipers,
children of the sun, and so on. Also
there are some who have special win
dow glasses to sell, ultraviolet lamps
to dispose of to the public. They do not
let us forget the important vitamin D.
Others Receive Less Notice.
The other vitamins, A, B (Which is
really two vitamins), @ and E, have
received much less attention. We know
that they exist in certain foods, we
know something of their effects on the
body. but VIC 10 not know how they
got into the foods, nor do we know how
to put them there. That they are as
impol tent in many respects as the vita
min D there can be no doubt, That
they are present in many commercial
foods which come TO our table is also
true
Apparently the advertising agents for
some of these products do not know this
or plrre would be made of it, 1t is as
iru0OF aant to see that foods containing
thtsc litam MS arc included in the diet
as 1t is tn kc your morning sun bath,
more imrco s. Though the latter may
be-
Vitamr IS to be found chiefly in
milk and i eggs. 1t is also present in
green vege b,es. 1t Is much more album
dant, for example, in green lettuce
than in white lettuce. It is found in
liver. Other sources are string beans,
butter, cheese. cod liver oil. sweet pota-
toes, spinach, tomatoes and similar
products. One of the characteristics of
this vitamin is its longtime effect. APP
parently the body has the ability of
storing this vitamin over long periods OF
time.
Needed to Insure Growth.
A plentiful supply of vitamin A in
childhood will make up, in large degree,
for a deficiency in later life. This is
the only vitamin which possesses this
remarkable property. It Is essential
for growth. Lack of 1t leads to weak
ening of the body TISSUES and a sus-
ceptibility to bacterial injection. 1t IS
also necessary to reproduction.
Vitamin B has been shown to consist,
in reality, of two vitaminS. This has
resulted in a confusion OF names, for
some have preferred to call these 81
and B2, while others have recnr1steneo
them F. and G. The two are dtfncult
to separate and because for years they
were treated as but one, our informa-
ton concerning them has been some
what confused. For example, II an ex-
perimenter were determining the amount
of vitamin B IN particular food he
might have judged this by vitamtn F
effect and found the food to contain
but little, whereas If he had judged
it BY a vitabin G effect he would have
considered it an excellent vitamin B
source.
Differ In Stability.
r and G differ chiefly in their sta
hility in the presence Of heat. The for-
mer is easily destroyed by heat, whereas
the latter is quite stable. The former is
therefore likely to be absent in cooked
foods. Lack Of vitanin F results In
the loss of appetite, loss Of weight, ner-
vousness, irritability and in extreme
cases, may be followed by spasms or
paralytic seizures. The body has no
great ability for storing this vitamin, so
It should be in the diet at all times.
When it is resumed In diet previously
deficient the recovery from its lack Is
very rapid -
Lack of vitamon G, the other COM
porent Of B, produces also a re-
tardation in growth, but differs from F
in that it produces weakness and slug
gishness, whereas lack of r produces
Q nervous condition. Soreness Of the
eyes, nose and mouth occur II lack OF
this vitamin continues. The diet which
contains q supply Of vitamin A Is also
likely to be satisfactory in its contents
of b, but in addition fruits may be
added to the diet, as oranges, grapefruit,
pineapples and so on, as well as nuts
and whole-wheat products. Extracts Of
wheat or corn germ, yeast and rice
polishings have been recommended fire.
quently where this vitamin is badly
needed.