Evening star., 1938-03-31
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field.
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAcP uENpv
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Here's what a l50-pound man needs
to eat:
Food which will produce 5000 calories
of body heat.
About one gram of protein-meat. eggs,
etc.-for approximately every two pounds
of body weight.
Three-fourths Of gram Of calcium.
One gram Of phosphorus.
One-tenth of a gram of iron.
About one-tenth of milligram Of
iodine.
From 1000 to 1000 international units
of vitamin A, found in liver oils egg
yolk fat and many vegetables.
About 10 international units per hun
dred calories of vitamin B, found in
cereals, nuts, seeds, many vegetables,
yeast, egg yolk etc.
About 600 international units of Vita
min c. found in most fresh fruits and
vegetables.
A small amount Of pellagra prevent
ative vitamin found in fresh milk, lean
beef and other foods.
Such is the daily requirement set by
the Nutrition Commission of the League
of Nations, set up two years ago to
study the food requirements OF popula-
tions all over the world. 1t is not
minimum requirement. A human being
could live and probably remain in fair
health for long time on less. Neither
is it an adequate diet, In the strict
sense. There are good many elements
which probably are necessary in food,
such as copper. whose functions are SO
little understood that there can be no
general agreement on them. Moreover,
a diet which contained the required
factors listed above probably would con-
tain all the others anyway.
The commission was made up OF
experts from several countries, some Of
which have supposedly lower standards
of living than obtain in the United States.
1t was reported to a meeting Of sociolo-
Stiebeling of the Department of Agrt-
cultures Bureau of Home Economics.
This eating scale naturally cannot be
applied indiscriminately to everybody.
The proportion of various required foods,
from one period of a persons life to
another and throughout life are more OF
less affected by circumstances. Growing
children need much more food than
adults, in proportion to body weight.
AACy lldfC SpCCldl ACCQS 4OI, pkOCCAlSS
calcium, phosphorus iron and the vari-
GUS vitamins.
Each of the essentials, DR.. Stiebeling
pointed out in explaining this interna-
tional standard, is independently nee
essary. The great danger lies in false
sense of security. The consequences Of
any particular deficiency do not come
with dramatic suddenness. They creep
up gradually. Diagnosis is often difn-
cult because deficiencies in diet seldom
are single and they often are compli-
Gated by other environmental factors.
mild forms of many deficiencies are
fairly common" DR.. Stiebeling said. I'm
these the abnormality is too slight to be
recognized by the layman, and may even
escape attention in the ordinary medical
examination. Special techniques are
needed to uncover early evidence of de-
fective nutrition-signs still too minor
to be classified as a disease, but repre-
senting a condition that is q potential
handicap to good health. It is at these
very early stages that remedial action
should be taken. An examiner should
not overlook the possibility Of a con-
nection between inadequate nutrition
and many of the abnormal conditions Of
ill-deflned cause, such as irritability.
poor appetite. digestive disturbanceA
lack q stamina, ~ So11g10neo . 6GoasA