RESEARCH WORK ON ATTRITION

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25301, 29 September 1947, Page 3

RESEARCH WORK ON ATTRITION

VITAMIN CONTENT TESTS CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY EXPERTS From Our Own Reporter DUNEDIN. Sept. 26. “That is more the function of die Dominion Laboratory,” said Dr. Muriel Bell, nutritional research officer at the Otago Medical School, when she was asked if tests were made of preparedfood products for which vitamin contents were claimed. "The Dominion Laboratory is continually doing chemical checks on the contents of the packages that advertise on the basis of vitamin content. It therefore behoves the manufacturers not to claim something that the food does not contain.” Nevertheless, because of requests from manufacturers and others, the Nutrition Research Department did a good deal of work on foods: and it was cvstematically checking those foods that required tests for which the Dominion Laboratory had no facilities: for example, estimations of the vitamin D Content of fish liver oils, and such other tests as involve biological methods. . , . , Many questions were asked by doctors. nurses, dietitians, and others about the"’value of the various breakfast foods. To test one sample of a breakfast food took a long time, yet the Denanment had tested' a whole series of them. “But when it comes to publishing results we are in somewhat of a quandarv.” she commented. "There are difficulties about making public comments on proprietary lines. We ran, however, make the general statement that ready-to-eat cereals have lest most of their vitamin Bl value. Contrarv to what might be expected, some of the packeted products had quite good value.” The considerable difference between one brand of oatmeal and another might be caused by the locality where it was grown, or by the more favourable weather, or to the amount of heat used before rehusking. An. offer to check these points was coldly received, and research had been halted at this point. There was apparently some fear that any recorded differences would be used as a basis for advertising. Child Malnutrition

The incidence of malnutrition among children in New Zealand was referred to Dr. Beil for her comment. “In my personal opinion, there is no reason why- children should suffer from malnutrition with the foods available in New Zealand’’ she replied. “The term ‘malnutrition’ is often loosely used. A child may look poorly for a variety of reasons, the wrong choice of foods being but one of them. Perhaps the m'others. are content to give them far too many sweet things, and not enough of the wholesome foods, such as milk and vegetables; according to Sir John Eoyd Orr. as long as we have enough of these, the nation can be kept healthy. The child whose rest is disturbed* or who does not get enough, sleep may similarly be physically so affected as to look malnourished. After all, the digestion is very dependent on freedom from fatigue. Some of what is labelled as malnutrition has hereditary causes, or arises from something inherent in the child’s make-up; for instance, some children as their mothers well know, are *poor doers’.” Past statistics for goitre had shown a high incidence. The adequate use of iodised salt had reduced the amount of goitre in Switzerland, and it was stated by School Medical Officers in the Christchurch area that they saw much less of this condition now that the iodide content *of the salt had been raised.

Dental caries was still prevalent. This was under investigation in the Otago Dental School and in the Nutrition Research Department.

“There is, I think, a growing appreciation of nutritional values.’’ said Dr. Bell, “although I think we do not always reach the people who must need instruction and advice on nutritional matters.” Vitamin Researches *

A series of researches at present being carried out was to find whether expectant mothers were getting an adequate amount of vitamin B. a vitamin very largely present in wholemeal bread. Dr. Bell said. The investigation involved an inquiry into whether the present 80 per cent, flour contained enough vitamin B. "We feel reasonably satisfied with the 80 per cent, extraction of flour.” she added. “The reason for testing this group is because they need more of this vitamin than other sections of the adult population.”

' Another research had confirmed the observation that milk allowed to stand in the light lost a great deal of its riboflavin content, and also developed horrid flavours.

The tests by the department had shown the high vitamin D value of the liver oils of ling and groper, and the value of eel body oil and therefore of eel flesh. Dietary studies had been made on 63 New Zealand families on the basic wage and compared with recognised standards The factors mainly lacking were calcrum and vitamin B factors, and the department recommended that the consumption of milk, cheese, and unrefined cereals should be increased. Another dietary survey among Maoris led to the conclusion that gross lack of calcium and of several of the vitamins was evident, while the dietaries gave no very safe margin of iron intake, the latter being reflected in the incidence of anaemia in about 10 per cent, of expectant mothers who had been examined. In the dietary studies the conclusion bad been reached that with wiser buying practically all of the families could have had adequate diets with the same expenditure. Fair correlation was found between the cost of the diet and the consumption of green vegetables and fruits, but no correlation was found between the consumption of milk and the cost of the diet. Infant Feeding Very satisfactory.” was Dr. Bell’s report on tests of the vitamin C content of tinned orange juice on the market. The department had also fntmd by tests that if the mother filled the orange juice right up to the neck of small sterilised bottles, and put them into a water jacket which was quickly raised to the boil, and kept them at foiling temperature for 20 minutes, the tinned orange juice did not lose appreciably in vitamin value. The method enabled the mother to use one small bottle at a time, and lessened ine expense of buying tinned orange juice. It was necessary that sterilised JJfks should be inserted immediately alter the heat treatment, and that the co ..ties should be stored in a cool, dark place.

Because of the shortage of oranges, there was still a need for the use of rose-hip syrup. Dr. Bell said, and it - ° s necessary also to emphasise the m.portance of green vegetables, caulinower and swede, as well as potatoes ;-F s pPPjying the family with their ’^ le vitamin C content of -w Zealand fruits and vegetables had .en investigated bv Miss Barbara Johns, m.HSc ~.4 rt 2 . n c°°king and preserving the , °min C was often more stable than o previously been supposed. *T.rm eSe , ta J°l e water prepared by boiling _ cuoi’tlc f green vege- -?- r diced cauliflower in a cupful V ter [n a tin y P°* for 20 then squeezing out the o-f ,2-P been suggested as a source nthl? a,nin £ infant feeding when ahnfn ces weTe unavailable. It had ut half the value nf orange juice.

. Value of Proteins uni ?t ns P ad ,oeen well described *s y the building material, but workmen that did the buildciXi/T J eps!rin - sai d Bell, dis,L ‘ :er recen t review of protein c ri' e eTS- spy °* me dical and surgical amnio 5 powder, for extha?*rk. C S J L fae added to many foods hastenfrlJ? tt 6 ?lven to sick People for saSm ♦2 leir convalescence. ReaJL Sjva the value of protein foods senteH proteins reprebrin? ok challenge to the doctor to pat?enr?t, Ut , earller restoration of the chemii S * hea . an d a challenge to the rials hv tO f‘- r^yide hirn with the mateNew y’hich this could be effected, to nr™S and she said should be able for P e xar?~T m uch of the raw material xam P*e from its skim milk or its

buttermilk or its whey, for the manufacture of such medicinal products. : It was now well recognised that; there were increased requirements for protein both by the expectant and the' nursing mother, and these could bp furnished by milk (from 1 to 1| pints), meat, liver, fish, egg and cheese, plus the proteins in cereals and vegetables. In children above infancy, from twothirds to three-fourths of the total protein was preferably derived from animal sources, approximately 50 oe? _°nt of the total dietary protein being supplied by milk Disorders of the ali-, mentary tract such as chrohic diarrhoea. coeliac disease, and ulcerative colitis might be ameliorated by high protein feedings. I