WHITE FLOUR

Evening Star, Issue 19614, 21 July 1927, Page 11

WHITE FLOUR

BRITISH DOCTORS ON DIET. Doctors and scientists who during recent years have been investigating the properties and activities of the lour vitnmines—A, B, C, ])—which play such an important part iu file wellbeing of '.bo human body that they have boon described as tho “ governors of health ” have made such progress that they will soon bo in a position to announce important, discoveries. It lias been established that—Vilainmo A is responsible for an eye disease known as xerophthalmia. Vit.amine C is responsible for scurvy. AHtaminc D is responsible for rickets. With regard to vilamiuo B, the great efforts are being made to discover the part it plays in the daily life of every human being. it has already been discovered that its absence in sufficient quantities from the human dietary is responsible for beri-beri (a tropical disease), intestinal troubles (including appendicitis), and serious heart affections; and it is believed that Hie present general uso of white Four, from which vitaminc B is excluded, is largely responsible for the increasing numliiv of abdominal and heart complaints with which tho medical profession is called upon to deal. A manifesto publishd in the ‘Daily Mail,’ signed by thirteen famous surgeons and physicians, emphasised tin importance of vifamine B, and particularly the necessity for tlie use of wholemeal ilour and wholemeal bread. For years the ‘ .Daily Mail ’ lias conducted a campaign to this cud, and in discussing it Professor R. H. Plimmor, D.Sc., said that too much could not be done to impress upon the public the absolute necessity for the use of wholemeal flour He continued;

“ Whitened flour is not a good food. To bleach it such poisons as nitrogenperoxide and chlorine arc used, and, although 1 doubt very much if there is sufficient of either of these left in tho flour to do any harm, medical officers are seriously concerned with regard to the cumulative effect. “We do not know exactly what vita mine H is, but we do know- that if it is not present in sufficient quantities in food it leads to all 'sorts or intestinal troubles. Due lias only to look ronnu and >ce tlie great increase in recent years of abdominal cases, particularly appendicitis, due, 1 think, to the general use of whitened flour. “It may be that lack of sufficient vitamin* H is also one of the causes of cancer —that wc do not know. What we do know is that people are eating too much while bread and too many sweets and not getting enough vitamin} 15. It is a sweet-eating age—and them is no vitamine B in sweets. Chocolate eating by women may be doing more harm to their health than the use of cosmetics and the drinking of cocktails. “It is certain that if people would only eat wholemeal flour and more dried [leas and beans mid ants the general health of the country would he vastly improved. Wo should also eat more potatoes, oatmeal, and whole barley. ■“A point should be made of eating cereals such as whole wheat for breakfast. There would be no need for anybody to stint themselves of what they like in tho way of food at every meal. Let them see that their calces and puddings arc also made with wholemeal flour, and they will ho astonished at the improvement in their lira Ith. “The medical profession was watching with the greatest possible interest flic fiat of Mussolini prohibiting the use of anything but wholemeal flour and wholemeal bread in Italy,”