Imperial Valley press., 1944-09-21
SOLVING THE
MYSTERIES OF Citrus

In the department OF Sunkist de-
voted to Nutritional Research, they
speak of glucosides and flavanones
in the same easy, familiar way other
folks talk about the weather or
baseball.
Your reporter soon forgot to be
scared, though. He found that citrus
research is as exciting as a mystery
story. Matter of fact, it is a mystery
story.
From the beginning it's been full
OF suspense, clues, detective work.
1t started, as you know, back in the
days of long sailing voyages, when
often % per cent of a ships crew
would die of scuryy.
In 1893, after a South Sea voyage.
Sir Richard Hawkins wrote: 'That
which l have scene most fruitful
for this sicknesse, is soWer Oranges
and Lemmons."
tftt
The strange ability of citrus fruit
to cure scuryy became widely known.
But it wasn't until around the time
of World War / that biochemists
learned for sure that certain foods,
including citrus, contained mysteri-
GUS substances essential to life
"yitamines.' They named the scurvy-
preventing vitamin in citrus fruits
"vitamine c."
The plot thickened. Vitamin c not
only prevented scurvy-it had as
tonishing effects on human growth!
In 1920-21, researchers at the Uni
versity of California conducted an
epoch-making experiment in child
feeding, under a grant from the
California Fruit Growers Exchange.
Underweight school children, fed
two graham crackers and an orange
IN mld-morning, gained weight
twice as fast as others. From this
test came the mid-morning school
lunch-including orange juice.
Tn a famous 3-year study of 440
children at MOoseheart, Illinois, sup
ported by the Exchange, Uni
yersity of Chicago research group
found that ounces of orange Juice
asd the juice of lemon, added TO
the daily diet, cured gingiritis in the
vast majority of cases, cut tooth de-
cay so per cent, improved general
growth.
These and other studies brought
new concept of oranges and lemons
as health-builders. Once 3 ounces of
orange juice daily was thought suf-
ficient. Now 8 ounces is standard
for abundant health. The need for
citrus fruit has been established for
all ages, from early infancy on. And
new researches continually add TO
its Importance!
tstFt
The value Of all this research to
the citrus grower is obvious. The
results, acted on by the medical and
dental professions and publicized TO
all America through Sunkist adver-
tising, have been prime factor
in increasing citrus consumption.
Without all this, citrus fruits would
still be luxury foods. Today they are
recognized as essential even in war.
And it's surprising how many Of
the key reports on nutrition re-
search, the ones that have made his
tory, carry the phrase: :. Grant
from the California Fruit Growers
Exchange" The Exchange has stim-
plated and coordinated a great part
of this effort. And the modest cost,
because spread among thousands of
growers working together, has been
negligible.
Sunkist groioers are proud of
being connected With this W0Tk,
schich so profoundly affects their in
dasfry and IIae health of the nation.
You seiH be, too, ,ehen you join the
Lschange.
Next report in this paper
two weeks from today.
California Fruit Growers Exchange
ssnhiaa building, a.os Angeles, IS, California