NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF SUBMARINE PERSONNEL 



319 



min A, but this relationship has been shown 

 to be less close than formerly believed (17, 

 27, 56). 



As to the minerals, only the calcium in- 

 take might cause some concern because of 

 the small amount of milk in the submariner's 

 diet and the recent increase in the suggested 

 allowance for this mineral (42, 65). Part 

 of the anxiety which might develop in this 

 area could be overcome by the formulation 

 of recipes which utilized milk and milk prod- 

 ucts. 



Proteins and fats should pose no nutri- 

 tional problems peculiar to submarine hfe. 

 At present there is no evidence to indicate 

 that extra or special proteins are required 

 even for hard physical work (18, 50). As 

 long as the caloric requirements are met by 

 a mixed diet, it is very likely that the de- 

 mands for protein will be taken care of. 



Contrary to earlier beliefs, the ingestion 

 of even large amounts of fat will not produce 

 any physiological disturbance such as ke- 

 tosis. Formerly it was thought that as soon 

 as approximately 50 percent of the calories 

 in a diet were provided by fat, ketosis oc- 

 curred. This is not the case (62). Aside 

 from the fats containing large amounts of 

 the saturated fatty acids (e.g., stearic acid), 

 no investigation has unequivocally shown 

 that one fat is more nutritious than another. 

 There are claims that certain fats such as 

 butter contain relatively large amounts of 

 special acids required by some animals (7, 

 8). On the other hand, investigations have 

 shown no detectable differences in the phys- 

 iological responses of children when dif- 

 ferent groups were maintained on butter 

 and oleomargarine (36). 



Foods for Taste 



A wide variety of tastily prepared foods 

 is probably the best insurance against the 

 development of nutritional deficiencies. In 

 addition to that, such a dietetic program 

 pays extra dividends in good morale among 

 the men on board the submarine. The in- 

 structors in the cooks' training school should 



be carefully screened with this qualification 

 in mind. During peacetime, it might be 

 advisable to send some of the instructors on 

 tours of duty at restaurants that are known 

 for their cuisine. Enough emphasis cannot 

 be put on this subject of the preparation 

 of meals (19). Even the best quahty foods 

 in the hands of an indifferent or incompetent 

 cook may result in dishes that are very 

 mediocre. 



The problem of food acceptabihty received 

 increased attention during the Second World 

 War, and a Food Acceptance Research Lab- 

 oratory was estabhshed at Chicago as a part 

 of the Quartermaster Food and Container 

 Institute for the Armed Forces (22). Tech- 

 niques used in commerical food and beverage 

 testing laboratories (15) were subjected to 

 a critical methodological analysis (21) and 

 integrated with the methods of consumer 

 surveys (20). By refining the psychophys- 

 ical techniques of the laboratory and devis- 

 ing more rehable quantitative criteria of 

 food acceptabihty, data might be provided 

 for setting up quahty control standards use- 

 ful in deahng with problems raised by selec- 

 tion of raw materials, processing, packaging, 

 and storing (23). 



The chemical aspects of gustation and 

 olfaction were discussed in detail by Mon- 

 crieff (48). 



To supplement the usual foods served on 

 submarines, research should be initiated to 

 develop means of prolonging the hfe of var- 

 ious types of fresh fruits. The various insti- 

 tutes estabhshed by the growers of specific 

 fruits are in a position to aid and advise in 

 any such program. There are many indica- 

 tions that fresh fruits are one of the things 

 missed most by the submariners. From the 

 standpoint of morale, it may be advisable to 

 consider the possibihty of including these 

 foods on the menu more frequently than 

 is done at present. From a nutri- 

 tional standpoint, fruits, especially in the 

 fresh condition, can be looked upon primarily 

 as a source of vitamin C. It would be an 

 exaggeration to insist that they be included 



