VITAMINE The Vital Principle in Food

Throughout the writings and teachings of the past we recog nized a certain element in food which science did not recognize. We called this the vital or life principle. Our claim has been and is still maintained, that food is not always food, but often is a destructive, rather than a construc tive, agent, even though it satisfies the appetite. We taught that Nature created food perfect and that if a man interfered and in some way separated certain parts, as for instance, the outer coatings and heart of wheat and other grains; the peelings of potatoes; the boiling of vegetables and throwing away of the water, he thereby denatured these foods and de stroyed much of their value, thus making himself liable to dis ease. Within the last five years all that we claimed has been proven true through the efforts of Dr. Casimir Funk, a Russian Scientist who has given this vital principle the name of Vitamine. No one has as yet been able to say what the chemical consti tution of the Vitamine is, but we do know that if this food acces Sory is missing, there cannot be health, nor can health be re stored by the use of the food which do not contain a certain arnount of it. Dr. C. H. Goudiss, editor of the Forest Magazine, made the fOllowing statements: “Not the wisest man living can tell just what vitamine is. All we do know about these mysterious substances which have appeared so suddenly on the scientific horizon is that, while they do not appear to be foods themselves, they are in some way es sential to the digestion and assimilation of foods. Their with drawal from a diet, otherwise well—balanced, results in disease and death as surely as would the withdrawal of protein or of water. “These substances are excessively minute and elusive, very sensitive to irrevelent handling, and so diverse in their behavior _ that it is perhaps a mistake to think them as belonging to the same group. “Little as we know about vitamine, we have learned enough to throw a new light on dietetic science and revolutionize many of the old theories. “We have learned that there are vitamines that promote growth; vitamines that prevent scurvy, and vitamines without which the baby will soon become rickety. Some of them are de stroyed by cooking, but cannot be dried out, while others are not apparently affected either by heat or drying.” It is now generally agreed that the vitamine are a non-pro tein nitrogenous compound and hold the bodily elements, through their action on the Organic Mineral Elements, in balance much like the magnetic forces in the earth hold the universe in balance. It is because of a deficiency in the Vitamine and a like de ficiency of the organic mineral elements, that we have illness and the various diseases. We speak of the organic mineral elements in connection with the vitamine because health is impossible if either one is missing and the vitamine cannot act except in con nection with the mineral elements. Moreover, where the vitamine is found there also are found the organic mineral elements more or less in abundance. While this substance, or principle, which we have always called the spirit of food, has loomed up so suddenly as Vitamine, the Dynamic force itself was known long ago. We have always taught that besides food as a food, there is a something as before stated, we called the Life of Vital principle, the spirit of food and that this vital principle is to be found in fruit, vegetables, cereals, nuts, legumes, potatoes, etc., but not in animal flesh except in minute quantities, consequently, the flesh of animals is not a true food. It may be a builder, but it is not a vitalizer.

Dr. Goudiss fully agrees with us, namely, that if a certain element is withdrawn from food, such for instance, as the outer covering and the seed eye of wheat and other grains; the cover ing and seed eye of the potatoe; the outer covering of the legume, then even though the meals are otherwise well-balanced, disease and death results before time. The vitamine are also found in all fruits, and in the orange for instance, we find a great deal but little of the organic mineral elements. In the apple and pear both the vitamine and the min eral elements abound, the latter being found in the skins. It is to be taken for granted that the vitamine are found principally in the fruits, in the grains, legumes, vegetables and potatoes, while the mineral elements are found in the outer cov ering. Both these extremely valuable elements are richly propor tioned in all the vegetables but may be readily lost in various Ways, as for instance, in boiling them and pouring away the water wherein boiled. For this reason the water should always be sufficient only to enable boiling without burning and if any remains it should be saved and used for making dressings or boiling of other food. That the substance now called vitamine is elusive and sen sitive, is unquestionable, for it is the life of the food, just as fragrance is the life of a flower. Boil the flower or superheat it and its fragrance takes flight and it is a thing dead. Boil cer tain of the fruits and vegetables and the vitamine or vital princi ple is lost.


 To more clearly illustrate this, and because we cannot tell in an understandable manner just what vitamine is, we state what certain vitamines will do. The orange, it is readily conceded, is one of the most tasty and desirable of fruits. It ispractically a specific for boils and carbuncles and we have never known it to fail when used in the necessary quantity. We have had patients with as many as fif teen boils and have instructed these to eat a dozen or more oranges a day. In each case the result was relief from the boils. Likewise in the cure of scurvy, and without any other treat ments, the orange has proven a specific. In such cases, however, we recommend that oranges be eaten between meals and that the meals themselves be composed of a combination of whole grain breads, plenty of fresh vegetables, both raw and boiled, and a great deal of the whole grain unpolished rice. As we have learned from long experience that the vitamine in the orange will cure most of the skin diseases, we conclude that it isnature’s remedy in such cases. It further indicates that the food formerly consumed by the sufferer was lacking in this vital principle. Oranges, however, are very sensitive to heat and though boiling might not totally destroy the value of the vitamine, it is far better to eat them in their natural state and without heating. In waste diseases such as anemia, rickets, tuberculosis, as well as the nerve and waste diseases known as Beri Beri, the vita mine necessary for a cure is found in the natural, unpolished rice. In all nerve and waste diseases of whatever nature, we have made the Basic food of our Diet out of it, adding to it a large proportion of fresh, unheated milk and have never found any but the most desirable results.


Science does not as yet seem to know just what the vitamine in rice actually does in the cure of Beri Beri and other diseases in which a low state of vitality and wasting are characteristic, but we do know what organic mineral elements are found in rice and what the nature of their work is, and this would indicate to us that the vitamines are in affinity with these elements and possibly suggest to us amethod for investigation. Experiments made with chickens on “Beverly Hall Farms” show that in feeding them either white bread or polished rice they become weak and stiff. They apparently lose all vital force; are listless, purple of comb and stop laying. When a change ismade, and the whole wheat given them together with the unpolished rice, they begin to change for the better within a very few days and it is not long before they are again healthy and begin to “sing” and to lay. These are ex periments that any one, layman or scientist, can make in a little back yard, and will soon point the way to anatural, normal diet. Chickens that are to be sold in the markets for food, when fed on white bread soaked until soft, will rapidly become fat, but if held beyond a certain time, will lose weight just as rapidly. When fed on white bread in order to fatten them, as they usually are, what of the food value of such fowls, considering that such food is denatured and does not contain either vitamine or or ganic mineral elements, and would therefore cause their death in 3- short time? The food, being deficient in these important ele— nIlents, can certainly not give them to the fowl, consequently the fOwl is not fit for human consumption and is death-dealing if given to invalids as it so often is, under the impression that it is a food rich in building elements.

vegetables

The potatoes are pared and consequently the part which con tains the organic mineral elements and vitamine was thrown away. Only the starch remains. - Likewise with the white bread. The health giving parts; the bran and the seed eye of the wheat grain, were taken out, consequently all parts containing the organic mineral elements, nuclein and vitamine are missing from the bread and little else than starch remains. With the vegetables it is as bad. Boiled in a large quan tity of water, (the water actually holding in solution the mineral elements, and vitamine), is considered unfit to use and is thrown away. Only the cellulose (indigestible matter) remains. This meal, as a consequence, is apparently well combined and balanced, and does contain the. necessary number of calories, but is totally deficient in real food value; is a starvation, disease producing, death dealing meal, and nothing more. With this conclusion, long advanced by us,_Dr. Goudiss agrees when he states: “No longer can we regard ourselves as properly fed because our meals show a scientifically correct balance of protein, carbo hydrates, fats and mineral matter: for without that evasive ele ment which in some mysterious manner gives the word to the forces of the body to digest and assimilate these nutrients, we might as well eat sawdust. For a time, it is true, we may get on very well, for the body stores vitamine against the time of need; but these cannot last long and without a constantly re newed supply, disease and death inevitably awaits us.”

Dr. Goudiss makes one mistake in this statement, he in cludes “mineral matter,” forgetful of the fact that the process of milling cereals, for instance, which eliminates the vitamine, also eliminates the mineral elements. Likewise, the cooking of vege tables eliminates both vitamine and mineral matter. In some certain food, it is true, the mineral elements may remain even after the vitamine is eliminated, but it is the exception and not the rule. Mothers who really love their babies in arms, and the chil dren by their sides, think to protect them from disease by buying either sterilized or pasteurized milk, unaware that by so doing they are purchasing milk which may actually have lost much of its food value. Boiling, sterilizing or pasteurizing milk, whether done at home in the kitchen or in some laboratory with a high-sounding name, is not the best food for the baby or the child, and very often is really not fit for use as a food because the process may have totally destroyed its vitamine contents. From the standpoint of purity, nothing in its favor can be said. If we do admit that the milk is full of bacteria and that this heating process destroys, then, instead of having an aquar ium we have a graveyard, and we do know that the living germ life is not as hard to destroy by the digestive juices and the nat ural acids in the system, as are the dead germs; moreover, the vitamine in the milk, if the milk is at all fit for human consump tion, when it combines with the secretions of the digestive tract, will destroy this bacterial life. But we are not alone dealing with the health of the present generation, but with the health of the nation of the future and therefore must we seek the cause of things. Hence we contend that if the cow is properly fed, receiving the necessary elements: organic minerals, nuclein and vitamine in her feed, the milk will be normal and destructive or disease breeding bacteria will not have a part in it. However we consider the question, milk is healthier without heating, regardless of any bacteria present. I

To obtain the vitamines in largest amount we must give careful consideration to the preparation of the foods that con tain them. Milk and eggs, both rich in vitamine, should not be boiled. Fruits should be eaten raw. All fruits whose skin are eat able should be so eaten. If fruit is so contaminated that heating seems necessary, they should not be used at all. Vegetables may be boiled. Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes are best without boiling. Dried fruits should be soaked but not boiled. Dried vegetables should first be soaked, then boiled. Cereals may be boiled. Cooking does not interfere with their contents and will render them more readily digestible. In the making of bread from any of the whole grain flours, baking soda must not be used unless sour milk is used with it. Soda without the addition of sour milk destroys the vitamine. In the making of all raised breads it is best to use a good yeast, one made from potatoes is especially desirable. Itwill be noticed that we usually mention the organic min eral elements in connection with the vitamine. It is impossible for any food: fruit, vegetable or cereal, to contain vitamine unless it also has these elements, and it is likewise true that food, such as the cereals, legumes, potatoes etc., contain the seed, or life germ, the base of nuclein (Life Principle,) in connection with these other elements. If the proportion of the organic mineral elements in a food is correct, the amount of vitamine contained therein is also cor rect. And in the case of grains, nuts, potatoes etc., the nuclein will be normal. If this nuclein, or active life germ isnot normal, then the seed when planted, would not germinate, or if it did would be so weak, so lacking in vital force, as to soon die.

e associated with the milk itself. In the cereals, however, we find a larger percentage of the organic mineral elements, the nuclein which is not found in milk or meat, and some vitamine. In vegetables and fruits we find a balance of the vitamine and organic mineral elements, and no nuclein, as such, though it must be admitted the spirit of the nuclein is there otherwise the vegetable plant could not flower and bear seed. We therefore claim that in the plant, before it flowers and seeds, the nuclein is present in embryo, and this may be the reason why there is a greater proportion of the vitamine found therein than in the foods which really contain the seed germ, such for instance as the cereals, legumes, potato etc. Heretofore food has been considered valuable according to the number of calories (heat or energy producing units) it con tained, a calorie being the amount of heat which would raise the temperature of one kilogram of water 1° centigrade, or about One pound of water 4° farenheit, but as previously stated, a meal may consist of food containing more than sufficient heat units Or calories, and yet be entirely lacking in actual building value, because of the absence of vitamine, nuclein and the organic min eral elements.