The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-21
Predict
Continued from Page u

bunk" vitamins. Scientific pubhca-
tons, he said, are full of studies
showing widespread nutritional fall
ure among all groups, with rapid
and general improvement when vi
tamins are supplied. Many writer's
when addressing the lay public,
however, deplore the purchase of
vitaminS at the drug store. MIR. De-
Pre- pointed out that the alleged
"rebunking" campaign is utterly
without scientific support, that Wit
amins Except Vitamin d. are
harmless even in large doses, and
that properly chosen vitamin pro-
gram contributes to an increased
sense of well-being in most individ-
uals. 1.-THE growth of the market for
vitamins, he said, sis ample proof
that they bring higher standard
of health to most people when taken
daily for better nutrition"
Mr.. DePree ridiculed the concept,
however, that vitaminS alone will
protect against dietary failure. Well
chosen food must always be the key
stone of the diet, with vitamins reg
ulating and promoting the bodys
assimilation of food.
NATURAL VITAMINS
SUPERIOR
While manufactured or "Synthe-
tic vitaminS play an essential role
in the treatment of severe deficien-
cy disease, the speaker urged a
wider use of natural vitamin con-
centrates, especially of the Vitamin
B Complex, for day-to-day protec-
ton and to combat the more COM
mon conditions of mild deficiency.
Concentrates of rice bran and i'm
proved strains of yeast, he said, may
contain as many as 20 individual
members of the Vitamin B group.
Only five vitamins of this group
are commercially available in syn
thetic form. While the human
body's need for all the B vitamins
has not yet been studied, Mr.. De-
Pre- pointed out that together these
many factors possess an effective
ness not paralleled by mixtures of
Synthetics. Certain mild but chronic
gastro-inteStinal disorders, for ex-
ample, were stated to require the
natural form oftVitamin B Complex
for satisfactory correction.
DECRIBES VITAMINS
IN TREATMENT
Unlike drugs, vitamins were de-
scribed as providing a "normaliz-
ing" effect in the treatment of
disease. A warm tribute was paid to
the efforts of DR.. Tom D. Spies at
Hillman Hospital and Clinic, Bir-
mingham, Alabama. Supported by a
nationwide foundation, DR.. Spies
and his associates have successfully
treated over $4,000 cases of vitamin
deficiency disease within the past
two years, not a single fatality hav-
ing been experienced. Due to the re-
search and reports, of this group,
vitamin therapy is now sohdly en-
trenched as a new weapon for the
general practitioner of medicine.
The more serious forms of vita
min deficiency disease, including
beri-beri, pellagra. and scurvy, are
not often recognized, Mr.. DePree
pointed out, although ricketts, is still
more common than generally be-
Heved. Milder forms of dietary fail
ure due to vitanain deficiency are
frequent, though seldom diagnosed
as such. Medical texts are only be-
ginning to recognize their import
ance, he said, and recognition is diff
ficult because most cases represent
lack Of several vitamins. As an
example of this mild but compli-
Gated type of deficiency, the speaker
described the chronic invalid"
whose complaints are likely to be
ignored or ridiculed. Such an indi-
vidual too often is the slave of bad
dietary habits and prejudice, which
give rise to long standing vitamin
neglect.
Mr.. DePree closed his address
with an account of recent reports
in the field of vitamin therapy.
Mentioned as worthy of wider appli-
cation were the use of Vitamin A
and Vitamin B Complex in hyper
tension; effectiveness of niacina-
mide in angina pectoris and trench
mouth; natural Vitamin B factors
in anemia; large doses of Vitamin c
in prevention of allergy symptoms,
heat prostration and shock; and
combinations of B Complex with
Vitamins E in neuromuscular dis
eases.