Milford chronicle., 1939-03-10
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Food YOu Eat Greatly
Affects Your Appearance
BY CHARLOTTE SPENCER
NutritiOnist for the State Board
of Health.

With very few exceptions, thu
needed food substances can be Sc
cured most economically and mos
pleasantly in the food which we ea
without resOrting to drugs. II We
were to believe the glowing claims
of the many producers of vitamin ant
mineral supplements. our meals
, might cease TO be real meals at all
and become merely rapid success
sion of vitamin and mineral capsules
While there are something like
} twelve minerals which we know We
need. only four of these, calcium
Phosphorus, iron and iodine, have
been proved to be practical import
ance when we are planning OuT
meals. The others either occur SO
frequently in our food or are needed
in such small amounts that we do not
need To make special provision for
them in our menu.
The best source of both calcium
and phosphorus is milk. II is the
best. not only from the standpoint
of quantity. but also because il con-
tains these two elements in the most
usable proportion. Other calcium
foods than milk are cheese. leafy
vegetables, oysters and citrus fruits.
Other phosphorus foods than milk
are meat, cereals, fish and eggs. By
the use of calcium and phosphorus
rich foods, we can get diet ample
TO meet our normal needs. In abnOr-
nal conditions, physicians and dem
| lists may prescribe calcium and
phosphorus supplements, but without
a prescription and with an ample
diet there is no need for their use.
In some localities the use of iOdized
salt has been very beneficial in pre-
! venting simple gOiter. These lOcali-
ties are in the sO-called "gOiter belt
where the soil is lacking in iodine.
The food grown on iodine poor soil
is low in iodine and so an outside
source is needed. The soil near the
sea is rich in iodine. Seafoods. fish
and the food produced on iodine-rich
soil are all good sources OF iodine.
In Delaware it is doubtful if the sale
of iodized salt is at all necessary.
The typical American diet is fire.
quently much too low in iron. The
common appearance of simple ane-
mia among infants, children and
adults is positive proof that we need
to pay special attention to iron in our
diet. Once an anemia due to lack OF
iron has developed q physician may
decide to supplement the diet with
iron compounds. However, the pre-
yentiOn of nutritional anemia can be
accomplished by the generous use Of
eggs, liver, meat, bread. dark cere-
ais. and green vegetables. The legend
of POpeye and his spinach has its
true life counterpart in the preven-
ton and cure OF nutritiOnal anemia.
Vitamins seem TO be popping up in
the most unexpected places. even in
our face cream. The greatest danger
of all this advertising Of vitamins and
of the symptoms of their lack is that
they encourage people to treat their
own symptoms rather than to get a
physicians diagnosis and recon-
mendation. "IIe who treats himself
has fool for a doctor"
Recently there has been consider
i.ble evidence that there is a wide
spread lack of sufficient vitamin A
in the diet. Many of our foods con-
tain this vitamin in large quantities.
Butter, eggs, milk and vegetables are
all good sources. The extremely
underweight person or the persons
who have frequent colds may benefit
from extra vitamin A in the form OF
cod liver oil or of other vitamin pre-
narration. However, il would seem
the best thing for such person to
consult their physician TO determine
il possibly some other condition is
causing their underweight or suscep-
tibility to colds. In any case vitamin
A supplements should be added to an |
already adequate diet rather than /
taken as a substitute for one.
The vitamin B complex. which in
cludes vitamin G. has been greatly |
exploited by the manufacturers. Ac- /
cording to them il is sure cure for |
most of our health problems such as: |
constipation, lack OF
APPETITE. poor complexion, and even
social failure. There are undoubted-
" many people who would benefit
from additional vitamin B. II does
seem doubtful that as n people we
need to consume large amounts OF
vitamin d drug preparations. At
least we should try using the more
normal foods such as dark cereals,
dark breads. vegetables. fruits. milk.
eggs and cheese before we decide we
need to buy such things as yeast and
other vitamin B preparations.
Vitamin c concentrates are not in
common use. The ready availability
Of tomatoes and tomato Juice. orange
Juice, and fresh vegetables il proper
" used should supply our needs for
his vitamin.
Vitamin ID enjoys the distinction
II being the only one about which
everyone seems in agreement. Little
Gitamin d is supplied in our natural
Oods. Extra vitamin d in cod liver
vii or some other form is practically
necessity for a baby up to two
'ears old. There is every indication
hat extra vitamin ID throughout the
intire growing period would result
n better bones and teeth.
II has not been shown that any
4 the vitamins can be absorbed in
igniflcant amounts from creams
ubbed in the skin. Our skin will
'e more beautiful IL we include the ,
where we are sure we can
sc them. in a well-balanced diet.
II has been demonstrated that '
eOple consuming large amounts OF ,
he protective foods-milk, vege-
Il |