Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 8, Number 18, DeMotte, Jasper County, 31 March 1938 — WHAT TO EAT and WHY ★ [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WHAT TO EAT and WHY ★

Describes the Precious MINERAL SALTS

That You Must Have in Order to Build Strong Bones, Sound Teeth, Healthy Nerves, Rich Red Blood

By C. HOUSTON GOUDISS

6 East 39th Street. New York.

THE human body is often compared to a machine, but it is far more wonderful, far more complex, than the nxtet intricate machine ever designed to run without stoppings day in and day out,for upwards of 70 years,is also a fully equipped chemical laboratory. For if a chemist should grind a man to

bits and analyze the pieces, he< would find at least 18 chemical elements, and possibly traces of several others. In addition to oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, the body contains a wide variety of mineral materials, which are necessary to its proper functioning—and even to life itself. The list includes calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, manganese, iodine and copper. All these substances must be furnished to the growing child —through food and drink—and generous amounts must also be supplied daily in the diet of adults, to replace the minerals that are constantly being used up. ★ v * Mineral! Necessary to Life It is vitally important that the homemaker should understand the function of these various salts and where they can be found. For if certain minerals are lacking in the body, the heart will stop beating. Without others, the bones cannot form property. Still others are responsible for the rich red blood that makes the difference between a healthy person and a sickly one. Laboratory experiments have proved that if you leave out the smallest trace of the mineral known as manganese, you destroy the love of a mother for her child. And nutritionists—but unfortunately not mothers —are well aware that less than a thousandth of an ounce of iodine makes all the difference between a normal man and an imbecile. ★ ★ ★ Calcium —Captain of Minerals Calcium deserves its ranking position as the captain of the minerals, because it builds the bones, or body framework. And the bony skeleton is to the human being | what steel is to a building. Calcium is also the chief constituent of the teeth and upon healthy teeth rests the health of the digestive system and, in turn, the entire body. For food that is improperly masticated is imperfectly digested and fails to nourish properly. About 99 per cent of the calcium in the body is found in the teeth and bones. If the body does not receive an adequate supply of this mineral in pre-natal life and during the growing years, the bones will be porous, distorted and easily broken, and the teeth will develops cavities and eventually may fall out. In addition to being the principal material for making and maintaining the bones and teeth, calcium increases the strength and pulsations of the heart and helps the blood coagulate in case of injury, thus keeping you and your loved ones from bleeding to death. That is why an extra supply of calcium is fed to patients just before an operation. ★ ★ ★ Calcium Builds Will Power There is a close relationship between calcium and sound, healthy nerves. And this precious substance likewise helps us to concentrate mentally—it strengthens our will power—and assists us in acquiring that “do or die” attitude | toward life, which is essential in an age when we must all struggle or go under. Yet despite its importance, it is estimated by that outstanding authority, Henry C. She r man, Professor of Nutrition at Teachers College, Columbia University, that one-half of the American people—even those with plenty of moneyare literally starving for calcium, because they do not know the food sources of this vitally important mineral. ★ ★ ★ Where so Obtain Calcium The foremost sources of calcium are milk and cheese, which is milk in concentrated form. It is chiefly to provide adequate calcium that homemakers must follow the rule of a quart of milk daily for every child, and a pint for each adult. Vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, celery, asparagus, string beans, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower are also a good supplementary source of calcium. And some fruits, such as oranges, figs,

strawberries and bananas likewise supply significant amounts. ★ ★ ★ Indispensable Phosphorus Like calcium, phosphorus is required .by the body in relatively large amounts, and like calcium, it is especially important in the diet of children, because ,it. is deposited in the bones, along with calcium, as calcium phosphate. Phosphorus is indispensable for all the active tissues in body and plays an important 'part in regulating the neutrality of the blood. It can be obtained from whole grain cereals, eggs, dried beans, cheese, lean .meats, and root and leafy vegetables. ★ ★ ★ Iron—King Pin of Them All But measured in terms of food essentials, iron is king pin of them all. It is the supreme element in nutrition because it is necessary for the formation of the hemoglobin or red pigment in the blood. And it is the hemoglobin 1 which carries purifying oxygen to every cell in the body. Recently, it has been discovered that copper is required for the proper utilization of iron. “Red blooded” is a term understood by everyone to denote health and strength, and it is iron that makes us red blooded. When your children grow pale and listless, lose their pep and lack appetite, it is likely that they are starving for iron. If you become short of breath and “pant” when going up hill, or upstairs,, even though there is nothing wrong with your heart or lungs, the chances are that there is insufficient red pigment in the blood—not enough to take up an adequate supply of oxygen and carry it to the millions of cells throughout the body. • * 'There is no excuse for cheating yourself or your children of a full measure of iron, for this mineral can easily be obtained from liver, egg yolk, whole grain cereals, molasses, dried fruits, dried peas and beans, nuts, lean meats and green vegetables. ★ ★ ★ lodine—Molder of Men Almost everyone has heard that iodine is the mineral which helps to prevent that disfiguring enlargement of the neck known as simple goiter. But few people realize that it is the principal constituent of thyroxin, secretion of the thyroid gland, and that the thyroid functions normally only when sufficient iodine is available. A wide variety of physiological disorders have been laid to iodine hunger. Obesity is frequently the result of thyroid disturbance. Specialists contend that stubborn skin diseases are associated with disorders of this gland. Many people are accused of laziness who are really suffering from thyroid deficiency. And competent authorities claim that the thyroid likewise influences mental make-up and emotional tendencies. lodine is found chiefly in seafood and in fruits and vegetables grown near the sea. In inland regions, where soil and water are poor in iodine, health authorities frequently add it to the drinking

water. And the use of iodized salt is also recommended. By these simple measures, thousands of growing children can be "saved from the disastrous results of iodine deficiency. In general, it can be said that if the minerals calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine are supplied in adequate amounts, the other minerals will be automatically furnished. i But every homemaker should make it her solemn responsibility to provide these four in abundance. For only in that nay can you insure optimal growth in children, develop tigorous health in adults, and maintain the highest possible tone of every organ in the body. © WNU—C. Houston Goudiss-—1938.