Foods and home making

Why is orange juice fed to babies ? Little babies are usually weighed very often. When babies are well they steadily increase in weight. It is important, then, to know whether or not a baby is gaining in weight. More than ten years ago, a scientist observed that a little baby nine months old failed to gain in weight. Some orange-peel juice was fed to this baby and within a month the baby gained two pounds. This makes us want to know what the orange-peel juice con- tained that made the baby grow. Scientists have found that not only the juice of orange peel but the juice of the pulp of an orange contains materials called vitamins. Vitamins exist not only in oranges but in other fruits, in milk, and in many different foods. Everybody needs to eat foods containing vitamins to make him grow and to keep him in good health. Physicians generally advise the feeding of orange juice to young babies because it contains vitamins and minerals. We shall later learn more about vitamins. The vitamins, as well as mineral matter, contained in fruits make them especially valuable foods. What is the solid, fibrous material of fruits? When the juice is pressed from an orange or lemon, some solid material remains clinging to the peel. When apples are crushed in cider-making, The Treasures Found in Fruit 35 so as to extract the juice, a solid pithy substance is left. The solid material left after extracting the juice from the orange, lemon, or apple contains a fibrous substance known as cellulose. Cellulose exists in the edible portion of all fruits, vegetables, and grains. It also exists in large quantity in the skins of fruits and vegetables and in the outer covering of grains. Cellulose is the solid material which holds fruits, vegetables, and grains in shape. Because cellulose is a solid substance and because it remains a solid substance during digestion it makes the other materials with which it is mixed bulky, i.e., the foods take up more space. Now bulky foods are needed because they stimulate the action of the intestines in digesting foods and in eliminating waste materials from the body. The fibers of cellulose are said to act as scrub brushes in keeping the intestines clean. The cellulose contained in fruits adds to the value of fruit as a food. What is the A B C of nutrition? Vitamins were formerly named only by the first letters of the alphabet. But now that it is recognized that vitamins are chemical compounds, they are being given names that indicate their composition, as follows: Vitamin A and Carotene 1 2 3 (Vitamin B (Bi or thiamin ) (thl-am'in) Riboflavin (rib-o-flav'in) Vitamin PP 3 (or nicotinic acid) Vitamin B6 and probably others Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Vitamin G is not included in this list because the vitamin for- merly named G , or B2, has been found to consist of more than one vitamin, viz., riboflavin, vitamin PP, and probably others. How do vitamins benefit the body? Vitamins help to 1. Make us grow normally 3. Prevent defective teeth 2. Increase resistance to disease 4. Give us an appetite 1 Found in carrots and green plants; converted into Vitamin A when eaten. 2 The original vitamin B has been found to consist of a number of vitamins. 3 PP means pellagra preventive; pellagra (pe-la'gra) is a disease. 36 Breakfast Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station Figure 16. Two Chickens That Were Fed Different Foods