The details of each of the deficiency diseases will not be included here. Briefly, only the more important and easy-to-understand facts will be discussed.
CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, and PROTEINS, which serve as the bulk of the diet, comprise the organic materials necessary for life. Also essential, although in minute amounts, are vitamins all the activities of the body. and trace minerals which act as catalysts or "spark agents" in The body uses carbohydrates (starches and sugars) almost entirely as fuel and the body can also convert carbohydrates into fat. Fats are also used as fuel. Proteins are highly specific and are composed of constituents known as amino acids and they are the most expensive constituents of the diet and so are more likely to be absent during periods of hardship. Hunger edema, for example, can be traced directly in some cases to an inadequate protein intake, which in turn contributes to lowering of strength and resistance to infections.
In order to have health or freedom from disease, the body must be supplied with certain minerals in addition to carbohydrate, fat, protein and vitamins. These minerals frequently are called inorganic salts and are constituents of the fluid that bathes and nourishes the body's cells; they are necessary for building the body tissues and must constantly be supplied to replace those lost in the urine, feces and sweat. Sodium chloride, or table salt, is excreted through sweat, and a serious depletion may result in cramps, prostration, and even death. Calcium, and to a lesser extent magnesium, is united with phosphates and other compounds to make healthy cells and bones and teeth. Iron is essential for the formation of hemoglobin and for respiration in tissues. Iodine is necessary to produce the hormone of the thyroid gland; if there is inadequate thyroid function all the tissues of the body eventually become deranged. Potassium is important for the maintenance of health. Cobalt is a component of vitamin B-12. Less is known about the specific functions of manganese, zinc, silver, boron, nickel, aluminum, arsenic, and fluorine, although normally they are found in small amounts in the body.
Modern researches in science have shown that there are many kinds of vitamins. Most of them, however, are still under study and cannot be specifically considered as the cause of certain deficiency disease. In this book, only the vitamins that have been studied thoroughly and are found to be very essential will be discussed.
Emphasis will be given to the following vitamins: Vitamin A, Vitamin B-1 or Thiamine, Vitamin B-2 or Riboflavin or Vitamin G, Nicotinic Acid or Niacin, Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin D and Vitamin K.The more common vitamin deficiency, symptoms or signs, principal food sources, and medicinal sources:
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