NUTRITION

Evening Star, Issue 23175, 26 January 1939, Page 15

NUTRITION

HOME SCIENCE DISCUSSION The inaugural session of the refresher course arranged for teachers of home science throughout New Zealand, was continued at the School of Home Science this morning. Proceedings took the form of a general discussion on nutrition, and the following report has been released:—“Lectures in this department are proving most interesting and instructive. Copious notes, and attractive and telling demonstrations, cannot but impress the student with the necessity for an exact knowledge of the food values of the common articles of diet. The newer knowledge of these food values makes a refresher course therefore very necessary. “ Subjects under discussion have been firstly, the factors governing the total food requirement of the individual each day; secondly, the essential protein groups with the latest work on aminoacid groups being emphasised. Demonstrations dealing with this illustrated the greater value of the animal proteins, meat, fish, eggs, milk, and cheese,, as compared with vegetable proteins and with cereals. Thirdly minerals have been very carefully studied, especially those which are most likely to be deficient in, the diet in New Zealand, but which are of vital importance to the body. Here the work has been particularly' interesting; calcium, phos.phorus, iron, and iodine have been thoroughly discussed, practical demonstrations showing most clearly how the cheaper and popular cereals along with sugar, and meat are poor in these essential substances, compared with fruits, vegetables and milk. In New Zealand diets where meat, white flour, sugar, and cereals are the staple articles of food it is not to be wondered at that deficiency diseases occur. The subject next to be studied, that of vitamins, is sure to be full of interest.