THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 



471 



like a pigeon, with marked symptoms of 

 avitaminosis, polyneuritis in this case. 

 Within 30 minutes the completely helpless 

 animal regains its posture and appears 

 normal in every respect. Severe thiamine 

 deficiencies in man produce beriberi, a dis- 

 ease that was common among the rice- 

 eating peoples of the world when modern 

 methods of removing the hulls were intro- 

 duced. The thiamine was in the hulls, and 

 hence was lost in the processing of the rice. 

 The processing of wheat today is just as 



purpose of keeping the flour white. About 

 all that is accomplished is the production 

 of a white but nutritionally inferior flour 

 at a higher price. 



Riboflavin (Bo). When deficient, this 

 leads to skin disorders in man as well as in 

 laboratory animals. Small amounts taken 

 daily will often restore the skin to normal 

 appearance. 



Niacin. This is the primary pellagra-pre- 

 venting vitamin. Pellagra is a disease which 

 affects the skin and the digestive tract, and 



Table I 



Important Vitamins 



Name 



Good Sources 



Effects of Marked Deficiencij 



Vitamin A (C20H30O) 

 Carotene 



Vitamin Bi (C12H16N4SO) 

 Thiamine 



Vitamin B2 (C17H20N4O6) 

 Riboflavin 



Vitamin Bs 

 Pyridoxine 



Niacin (CeHsNOo) 



Vitamin B12 



Vitamin C (CeHgOe) 

 Ascorbic acid 



Vitamin D (C28H44O) 

 Calciferol 



Vitamin K (C31H46O2) 



Yellow and green vegetables, fissh- 

 liver oils, butter, eggs 



Whole grains, yeast, meats, outer 

 coats of cereal grains 



Same as Bi 



Same as Bi 



Same as Bi 



Same as Bi 



Fresh citrus fruit juices and vege- 

 tables 



Butter, eggs, fish-liver oils 



Most leafy vegetables 



Severe night blindness, 

 xerophthalmia 



Beriberi, stunted growth 



Skin defects 



Uncertain in man 



Pellagra 



Pernicious anemia (?) 



Scurvy 



Rickets, faulty calcium me- 

 tabolism 



Increased clotting time of 

 blood 



impractical from a nutritional standpoint. 

 Nearly all of the vitamins are removed from 

 the wheat grain when it is processed into 

 the white flour that is demanded by the 

 American housewife. Present-day methods 

 of milling have become a little more sci- 

 entific, however, for an effort is now made 

 to put the vitamins back in again. It seems 

 a rather ridiculous procedure to go to the 

 labor and expense of removing many nu- 

 tritious parts of the rich wheat kernel, and 

 then be obliged to restore them for the sole 



is fatal in severe cases. It is found in certain 

 areas in the South where the diet consists 

 almost exclusively of molasses, meat, and 

 corn. Small amounts of yeast, which con- 

 tains niacin as well as other members of 

 the B complex, will cure the disease very 

 quickly. This is probably the only severe 

 vitamin deficiency disease that is prevalent 

 in this country today. 



Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Vitamin C is 

 found abundantly in citrus fruits and fresh 

 vegetables. Cooking destroys it rapidly and 



