| We may define a food to be any substance | | | | heat. They form the essential part of every |
| which will repair the functional waste of the | | | | living cell.Proteids are excreted from the |
| body, increase its growth, or maintain the | | | | body as water, carbon dioxide, urea, uric |
| heat, muscular, and nervous energy. In its | | | | acid, sulphates, &c.The principal proteids of |
| most comprehensive sense, the oxygen of the | | | | animal origin have their corresponding |
| air is a food; as although it is admitted by | | | | proteids in the vegetable kingdom. Some |
| the lungs, it passes into the blood, and | | | | kinds, whether of animal or vegetable origin, |
| there re-acts upon the other food which has | | | | are more easily digested than others. They |
| passed through the stomach. It is usual, | | | | have the same physiological value from |
| however, to restrict the term food to such | | | | whichever kingdom they are derived. |
| nutriment as enters the body by the | | | | |
| intestinal canal. Water is often spoken of as | | | | The Osseids comprise ossein, gelatin, |
| being distinct from food, but for this there | | | | cartilage, &c., from bone, skin, and |
| is no sufficient reason.Many popular writers | | | | connective issue. They approach the proteids |
| have divided foods into flesh-formers, | | | | in composition, but unlike them they cannot |
| heat-givers, and bone-formers. Although | | | | form flesh or fulfil the same purpose in |
| attractive from its simplicity, this | | | | nutrition. Some food chemists wish to call |
| classification will not bear | | | | the osseids, albuminoids; what were formerly |
| criticism.Flesh-formers are also heat-givers. | | | | termed albuminoids to be always spoken of as |
| Only a portion of the mineral matter goes to | | | | proteids only.Jellies are of little use as |
| form bone.Water forms an essential part of | | | | food; not only is this because of the low |
| all the tissues of the body. It is the | | | | nutritive value of gelatin, but also on |
| solvent and carrier of other | | | | account of the small quantity which is mixed |
| substances.Mineral Matter or Salts, is left | | | | with a large proportion of water.The |
| as an ash when food is thoroughly burnt. The | | | | Vegetable Kingdom is the prime source of all |
| most important salts are calcium phosphate, | | | | organic food; water, and to a slight extent |
| carbonate and fluoride, sodium chloride, | | | | salts, form the only food that animals can |
| potassium phosphate and chloride, and | | | | derive directly from the inorganic kingdom. |
| compounds of magnesium, iron and | | | | When man consumes animal food?a sheep for |
| silicon.Mineral matter is quite as necessary | | | | example?he is only consuming a portion of the |
| for plant as for animal life, and is | | | | food which that sheep obtained from grass, |
| therefore present in all food, except in the | | | | clover, turnips, &c. All the proteids of the |
| case of some highly-prepared ones, such as | | | | flesh once existed as proteids in the |
| sugar, starch and oil. Children require a | | | | vegetables; some in exactly the same chemical |
| good proportion of calcium phosphate for the | | | | form.Flesh contains no starch or sugar, but a |
| growth of their bones, whilst adults require | | | | small quantity of glycogen. The fat in an |
| less. The outer part of the grain of cereals | | | | animal is derived from the carbohydrates, the |
| is the richest in mineral constituents, white | | | | fats and the proteids of the vegetables |
| flour and rice are deficient. Wheatmeal and | | | | consumed. The soil that produced the herbage, |
| oatmeal are especially recommended for the | | | | grain and roots consumed by cattle, in most |
| quantity of phosphates and other salts | | | | cases could have produced food capable of |
| contained in them. Mineral matter is | | | | direct utilisation by man. By passing the |
| necessary not only for the bones but for | | | | product of the soil through animals there is |
| every tissue of the body.Organic Compounds | | | | an enormous economic loss, as the greater |
| are formed by living organisms (a few can | | | | part of that food is dissipated in |
| also be produced by chemical means). They are | | | | maintaining the life and growth; little |
| entirely decomposed by combustion.The | | | | remains as flesh when the animal is delivered |
| Non-Nitrogenous Organic Compounds are | | | | into the hands of the butcher. Some imagine |
| commonly called carbon compounds or | | | | that flesh food is more easily converted into |
| heat-producers, but these terms are also | | | | flesh and blood in our bodies and is |
| descriptive of the nitrogenous compounds. | | | | consequently more valuable than similar |
| These contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen | | | | constituents in vegetables, but such is not |
| only, and furnish by their oxidation or | | | | the case. Fat, whether from flesh or from |
| combustion in the body the necessary heat, | | | | vegetables is digested in the same manner. |
| muscular and nervous energy. The final | | | | The proteids of flesh, like those of |
| product of their combustion is water and | | | | vegetables, are converted into peptone by the |
| carbon dioxide (carbonic acid gas).The | | | | digestive juices?taking the form of a |
| Carbohydrates comprise starch, sugar, gum, | | | | perfectly diffusible liquid?otherwise they |
| mucilage, pectose, glycogen, &c.; cellulose | | | | could not be absorbed and utilised by the |
| and woody fibre are carbohydrates, but are | | | | body. Thus the products of digestion of both |
| little capable of digestion. They contain | | | | animal and vegetable proteids and fats are |
| hydrogen and oxygen in the proportion to form | | | | the same. Formerly, proteid matter was looked |
| water, the carbon alone being available to | | | | upon as the most valuable part of the food, |
| produce heat by combustion. Starch is the | | | | and a large proportion was thought necessary |
| most widely distributed food. It is insoluble | | | | for hard work. It was thought to be required, |
| in water, but when cooked is readily digested | | | | not only for the construction of the muscle |
| and absorbed by the body. Starch is readily | | | | substance, but to be utilised in proportion |
| converted into sugar, whether in plants or | | | | to muscular exertion.These views are now |
| animals, during digestion. There are many | | | | known to be wrong. A comparatively small |
| kinds of sugar, such as grape, cane and milk | | | | quantity of proteid matter, such as is easily |
| sugars.The Oils and Fats consist of the same | | | | obtained from vegetable food, is ample for |
| elements as the carbohydrates, but the | | | | the general needs of the body. Increased |
| hydrogen is in larger quantity than is | | | | muscular exertion requires but a slight |
| necessary to form water, and this surplus is | | | | increase of this food constituent. It is the |
| available for the production of energy. | | | | carbohydrates, or carbohydrates and fats that |
| During their combustion in the body they | | | | should be eaten in larger quantity, as these |
| produce nearly two-and-a-quarter times (4 : | | | | are the main source of muscular energy. The |
| 8.9 = 2.225) as much heat as the | | | | fact that animals, capable of the most |
| carbohydrates; but if eaten in more than | | | | prolonged and powerful exertion, thrive on |
| small quantities, they are not easily | | | | vegetables of comparatively low proteid |
| digested, a portion passing away by the | | | | value, and that millions of the strongest |
| intestines. The fat in the body is not solely | | | | races have subsisted on what most Englishmen |
| dependent upon the quantity consumed as food, | | | | would consider a meagre vegetarian diet, |
| as an animal may become quite fat on food | | | | should have been sufficient evidence against |
| containing none. A moderate quantity favours | | | | the earlier view.Indigestible Matter?Food is |
| digestion and the bodily health. In cold | | | | never entirely digested. As a reason against |
| weather more should be taken. In the Arctic | | | | confining ourselves solely to vegetable food, |
| regions the Esquimaux consume enormous | | | | it has been stated that such is less |
| quantities. Nuts are generally rich in oil. | | | | perfectly digested than animal food and that |
| Oatmeal contains more than any of the other | | | | it therefore throws more work on the |
| cereals (27 analyses gave from 8 to 12.3 per | | | | digestive organs. It is also urged that on |
| cent.)Vegetable Acids are composed of the | | | | this account a greater quantity of vegetable |
| same three elements and undergo combustion | | | | food is required. We have shown elsewhere |
| into the same compounds as the carbohydrates. | | | | that, on the contrary, vegetarians are |
| They rouse the appetite, stimulate digestion, | | | | satisfied with a smaller amount of food. Man |
| and finally form carbonates in combination | | | | requires a small quantity of woody fibre or |
| with the alkalies, thus increasing the | | | | cellulose in his food to stimulate intestinal |
| alkalinity of the blood. The chief vegetable | | | | action and prevent constipation.Selina Cormin |
| acids are: malic acid, in the apple, pear, | | | | and Jaynne Nichols have partnered to put this |
| cherry, &c.; citric acid, in the lemon, lime, | | | | research on food chemistry together. Read |
| orange, gooseberry, cranberry, strawberry, | | | | more at Alt Cooking. While you are there |
| raspberry, &c.; tartaric acid, in the grape, | | | | check out the resource and books |
| pineapple, &c.Proteids or Albuminoids are | | | | sections.Jaynne Nicols has done a lot of |
| frequently termed flesh-formers. They are | | | | research into illness and why we get ill. |
| composed of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, | | | | One of the things she came across is that |
| oxygen, and a small quantity of sulphur, and | | | | almost all illness starts in your colon. |
| are extremely complex bodies. Their chief | | | | Sign up for her free newsletter Health and |
| function is to form flesh in the body; but | | | | Wellness in the 21st Century and learn more |
| without previously forming it, they may be | | | | in and through her series on health issues. |
| transformed into fat or merely give rise to | | | | |