Evening star., 1936-02-12
Discovery of VanS of Great Importance History of Food
Pioneers in Research
Were Dutch Medical Man
And an English Scientist
Advisable for Menu-Planner to Understand
the Necessity for Inclusion of Foods
Rich in These Elements.

fat or oily foods-those particular
vitamins GA, D and E. are soluble in
fat. Three other vitamins (B, c and
Enthusiastically in the juicy, succu-
lent or watery foods, such as vegeta-
bles and fruit. But the lines cross
both ways, and there are at least two
vitamins "a and E. that are found
both in oily foods and in watery ones.
- Il
go THE housekeeper should know
her vitamins in order to choose
a sufficient variety of foods to provide
a good diet for her family. Nor Is
the choice of foods the only aspect
Of this problem. Some Of these re-
markable substances can be stored
as a reserve in the body for use as
needed, so il they are lacking in to-
tomorrow. There are other vitamins,
however, that either cannot be stored
in the body or are stored to such
small extent that fresh supply is
needed daily. And these are the same
vitamins that are more or less perish
able because they may be destroyed
by exposure to the air and to heat, or
lost by dissolving in the cooking water.
This means that the foods containing
these vitamins require special handling
when it comes to preparing. cooking
or serving them. Some of the vita
minis, then, are much easier to supply
than others.
"Vitamin E is easy to supply. 1t
is found in so many of the common
foods that we could hardly escape
getting it if we tried.
1T is not easily destroyed in cooking
and this is one of the vitamins the
body can store in its tissues. So
vitamin E need give the housekeeper
no special concern. Its Importance,
however, has been proved SO far as
certain experimental animals are con-
cerned, especially its relation to re-
production. Its importance to human
beings is still being studied.
"XTITAMIN G is another that is still
being studied to find out its
true relationships. 1t was given its
name after scientists discovered that
in vitamin B they were dealing with.
not Just one substance, but at least
two. The second they called vitamin
G, and discovered that, like the rest,
1t is necessary to good nutrition. APP
parently this vitamin, or. rather, the
lack of it, is related to the deficiency
disease called pellagra.
"Vitamin G, however, is not difficult
to supply. 1t Is found in many diff
ferent kinds of food, and it stands
cooking. Good sources of this vitamin
are milk in all its forms, lean meats,
green vegetables, peanuts, soybeans
and whole wheat. Particularly rich
in vitamin G are such meats as liver
and kidneys. and such greens as turnip
tops, kale and mustard.
I'm short, a meal that includes
milk, whole wheat bread, lean meat,
potatoes and green vegetable pro-
vides both vitamin E and vitamin G..
with the other four vitamins, as
happens so often all through the story
of food values and diet, the foods
that are best sources of one may
be poor sources Of another. Vitamin
A Is found in certain foods from
animal sources, also in the yellow
and green parts of vegetables and
fruits, and Is not very sensitive to
heat-but 1t is never too plantiful for
our normal requirements. Vitamin D
is supplied in very few foods. Vita
minis B and C, which are found in
many foods, dissolve in water, and
are also sensitive to heat, so the foods
containing them require special treat
ment in cooking. These last four
vitamins, then, for one reason or
another, are not quite so easily pro-
vided In the ordinary routine of meal
planning as are vitamins E and G.
Each, in fact, is another and separate
story"