NATURAL FOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 285, 2 December 1938, Page 11

NATURAL FOOD.

RICH IN VITAMINS. SOUTH SEA ISLAND DIET. To natural food, rich in vitamins, vss attributed the good health and physique of many of the South Sea Island natives by Dr. Guy Chapman, when he gave an address last evening at the Lewis Eady Hall under the auspices of the New Zealand Women's Food Value League.

Dr. Chapman said that the first thing that struck a visitor was the ditT-rem way that the islanders lived. In Fiji the natives still lived a community life, but their gardens were worked independently. Their food was simple, and their health marvellous. At Rarotonga there was the same village schemes, bnt at Tahiti the natives lived more on artificial foods, and dental troubles were common. In the Society Group the natives lived close to nature, and showed it by tlioir appearance.

The lecturer said that among the Fiji natives the taro root, yam and kumara were freely used, there was plenty of fish, and the sea slug whs full of iodine and minerals. Tliey either drank Lava or chewed the betel-nut. The taro had a high protein content.

'ihe lecturer said that the coconut had a wonderful food value, but the average person did not know iiow to prepare it. The nut was full of the vitamin 1". lis milk had'a very high value, and could be put to many uses. With natural foods the island natives had a perfectly balanced diet, in every vitamin. In reply to a question, Dr. Chapman said that the banana was a very valuable food, and it did not suffer from the fact that it was picked green for shipment.

In pointing out that the sea weed had food value, the lecturer said that New Zealand had 43 edible varieties, and as an industry it should be worth ten millions a year to New Zealand.

An address was given by Mr. Carter B. Storr, who dealt in nutrition in "-la-t----ern Canada. He said that work to improve health was very active in the schools under the charge of doctors and nurses, and that there was a welfare bureau for the adults. A consumers' union had been formed, and as the result of laboratory and scientific investigation the efficiency of many articles was mad© known to the buying public. Mr. Storr commended the work of *he league in Auokland. and urged the members to continue the steps they taking to educate the public in food values.