The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-06
THE GROWING CHILD

Children grow at a gradually de- creasing rate per year from birth up to the age of IS to 25 years. Although there is little increase in stature after the age of 19 or 20 years as @ rule, still development is by no means completed then, for physical maturity is attained at the age of 24 in men and the age of 21 in women (averageS). Charac- ter, too, is fully developed at ma- turity perhaps calcium (and | phOSphorouS) metaboliSln has a good deal to do with character. Phosphorus is of secondary im- portance because the calcium in- take determines or controls the ab- sorption and retention of phosphor- us. Take care of your calcium and the phosphorus will take care of it. self.
 AS already stated, the time of | greatest need for calcium is in childhood from the age of eight or ten years to, 18. Tn the teens growth is rapid and the demand for cal- cium, and of course for sunshine vitamin D which is essential for utilization of calcium in the body, is great. If the daily intake of cal- cium and vitamin D is restricted the growing child is certain to suffer physically, and, believe, in devel- opment of character. It is physio- logical fact that shortage of cal- cium or vitamin D manifests itself in neuro-muscular irritability, or as the layman might call it, nervous ness" or nervous weakness, and the youth reacts abnormally to everyday stimuli or emotions.
 From theory and considerable ob- servation and experience I believe that shortage in the daily calcium and vitamin D intake has a good deal to do with the restlessness and the abnormal craving for some thing to steady the nerves that ac- counts for cultivation of the tobac- co and alcohol habits.
 If nudity (not nudism) were the universal and conventional custom, the milk and cheese and eggs and plain wheat and green salads and fresh fruit in season were standard diet for growing children, the phy- Sical and moral health of the na- tion would be on higher plane. Action of sunshine or skyShine on the skin causes the body to manu- facture its own vitamin D. The un- denaturiZed or unrefined foods mentioned are the best sources of calcium (and phoSphorus). Plain wheat is the best food source of vitamin B-complex-the third fac- tor in which the everyday diet is deficient.
 It is not so easy as it may sound everyday diet. Indeed it requires more firmness and vigilance than the average malnourished indivi- dual can apply to the problem day by day and week by week. The al- formative course is to supplement the daily diet by eating along with breakfast every day, or divide into portions with each meal, a fair days ration of vitamin D and vitamin B. complex. This is good health habit for everybody, particularly for chil- ulC WlIO AIdfC IlOt JCb avvA4ACA complete development.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Peanuts
 What is the food value and vita min value of peanuts? (C.GD)
 Answer-Peanuts are highly nour- ishing food, yielding 2,490 calories to the pound-compared with 1,70O calories in the pound of wheat Peanuts contain about twice as much vitamin B as wheat. They are rich in calcium and phosphorus, contain fair amounts of vitamin A and vitamin G, and at the com paratively low cost should be an important staple of everyday diet, instead of 8 mere occasional indul- gence.
 | Arthritis
 am 37 years old, Will you kind ly tell me what can do for mul- tiple rheumatoid arthritis. (S. L)
 Answer-That's an imposing way