VITAMIN C 201 



in fact, in the writers' apple experiments the presence or absence of oxygen car- 

 riers is suggested as important in this connection. Practically, the combined results 

 show that in the canning process as evolved commercially the antiscorbutic factor 

 in foods is preserved to the extent of making such canned foods important sources 

 of this vitamin. In the case of vegetables such as cabbage and spinach it is reassur- 

 ing to learn that one may employ temperatures and periods of heating necessary to 

 proper sterilization without at the same time eliminating one of the values of 

 the foodstuffs as a nutrient." 



While thus emphasizing the value of commercially canned products, 

 these authors call attention to the fact that even home-cooked spinach 

 may be considered an excellent antiscorbutic in viev^^ of the richness 

 of the raw material in vitamin C and the size of portion usually eaten 

 by the consumer. 



The extensive use in the Southern states of collards and turnip 

 greens has led to studies of these at the Alabama and Georgia Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Stations. Burton (1928) at the Alabama station, 

 considered 1 gram of raw collards and slightly more than 1 gram of 

 raw turnip greens to be the minimum vitamin C protective dose. The 

 collards required cooking for about two hours and the turnip greens 

 30 minutes for palatability. Under such conditions the collards showed 

 about 10 per cent destruction of vitamin C and the guinea pigs refused 

 to eat sufficient turnip greens for protection. From these admittedly 

 incomplete experiments Burton concluded that collards are higher in 

 vitamin C than turnip greens. At the Georgia station, however, turnip 

 greens have been reported to be exceptionally high in vitamin C, 0.3 

 gram daily of the raw material being sufficient for protection. Boiling 

 the greens for 45 minutes with all of the water cooked back caused 

 a loss of about 85 per cent in vitamin C potency. Considering the re- 

 ported richness of the raw material in vitamin C, cooked turnip greens 

 even with this loss in potency may be considered a good source of 

 vitamin C. 



Watercress resembles cabbage, lettuce and other leafy vegetables 

 in its high content of vitamin C. Coward and Eggleton (1928) reported 

 that 1 gram daily of fresh watercress is sufficient to protect a guinea 

 pig completely for a period of 70 days. 



Scheunert (1929) considers kale and brussels sprouts to be very 

 good sources of vitamin C when tested raw and good sources when 

 cooked. Red cabbage resembled white cabbage in its high content of 

 vitamin C in the raw state and low content after cooking for half 

 an hour. Sauerkraut was found by Scheunert to have as high a content 

 of vitamin C as cabbage but to be deficient in it after cooking. Head 

 lettuce was completely protective in doses of 1 to 2 grams daily. 



Seeds and Seedpods. — Sound mature seeds, whether cereals or le- 



