CONTENTS
CHAPTER I | PAGE |
| Foods and their Digestion | |
| Topics: The purpose of nutrition. The food of man. Proteid foods.Carbohydrate foods. Fats. Food as fuel. Composition of foodstuffs.Availability of foods. Food as source of energy. Various factors in thenourishment of the body. Processes of digestion. Secretion of saliva.Function of saliva. Enzymes. Reversible action of enzymes. Specificityof enzymes. Mastication. Gastric secretion. Components of gastricjuice. Action of gastric juice. Muscular movements of stomach. Timefoods remain in stomach. Importance of stomach digestion. Processesof the small intestine. Secretion of pancreatic juice. Chemical changesin small intestine. Destruction of proteid food. Significance of thebreaking down of proteid. Change of fatty foods and carbohydrates inintestine. Digestion practically complete at end of small intestine. Putrefactionheld in check. Digestion a prelude to utilization of food. | |
CHAPTER II | |
| Absorption, Assimilation, and the Processes of Metabolism | |
| Topics: Physiological peculiarities in absorption. Chemical changes inepithelial walls of intestine. Two pathways for absorbed material. Functionof the liver as a regulator of carbohydrate. Absorption of proteidproducts. Assimilation of food products. Anabolism. Katabolism.Metabolism. Processes of metabolism. Older views regarding oxidation.Discoveries of Lavoisier. The views of Liebig. Theory of luxus consumption.Oxidation in the body not simple combustion. Oxygen not thecause of the decompositions. Oxidation not confined to any one place.Intracellular enzymes. Living cells the guiding power in katabolism.Some intermediary products of tissue metabolism. Chemical structure ofdifferent proteids. Decomposition products of nucleoproteids. Relationto uric acid. Action of specific intracellular enzymes. Creatin andcreatinin. Relation to urea. Proteid katabolism a series of progressivechemical decompositions. Intracellular enzymes as the active agents. | |
CHAPTER III | |
| The Balance of Nutrition | |
| Topics: Body equilibrium. Nitrogen equilibrium. Carbon equilibrium.Loss of nitrogen during fasting. Influence of previous diet on loss ofnitrogen in fasting. Output of carbon during fasting. Influence of pureproteid diet on output of nitrogen. Influence of fat on proteid metabolism.Effect of carbohydrate on nitrogen metabolism. Storing up of proteid bythe body. Transformation of energy in the body. Respiration calorimeter.Basal energy exchange of the body. Circumstances influencing energyexchange. Effect of food on heat production. Respiratory quotient andits significance. Influence of muscle work on energy exchange. Eliminationof carbon dioxide during work and with different diets. Effect ofexcessive muscular work on energy exchange. Oxygen consumption underdifferent conditions. Output of matter and energy subject to great variation.Body equilibrium and approximate nitrogen balance to be expectedin health. | |
CHAPTER IV | |
| Source of the Energy of Muscle Work, with Some Theoriesof Proteid Metabolism | |
| Topics: Relation of muscle work to energy exchange. Views of Liebig.Experimental evidence. Relation of nitrogen excretion to muscle work.Significance of the respiratory quotient in determining nature of the materialoxidized. Fats and carbohydrates as source of energy by muscles.Utilization of proteid as a source of energy. Formation of carbohydratefrom proteid. Significance of proteid metabolism. Theories of Carl Voit.Morphotic proteid. Circulating proteid. General conception of proteidmetabolism on the basis of Voit’s theories. Pflüger’s views of proteidmetabolism. Rapidity of elimination of food nitrogen. Methods by whichnitrogen is split off from proteid. Theories of Folin. Significance ofcreatinin and of the percentage distribution of excreted nitrogen. Endogenousor tissue metabolism. Exogenous or intermediate metabolism.Needs of the body for proteid food possibly satisfied by quantity sufficientto meet the demands of tissue or endogenous metabolism. Bearings ofFolin’s views on current theories and general facts of proteid metabolism.Large proteid reserve and voluminous exogenous metabolism probably notneeded. Importance of feeding experiments in determining the true valueof different views. | |
CHAPTER V | |
| Dietary Habits and True Food Requirements | |
| Topics: Dietetic customs of mankind. Origin of dietary standards. Truefood requirements. Arguments based on custom and habit. Relationshipbetween food consumption and prosperity. Erroneous ideas regardingnutrition. Commercial success and national wealth not the result of liberaldietary habits. Instinct and craving not wise guides to follow in choiceand quantity of food. Physiological requirements and dietary standardsnot to be based on habits and cravings. Old-time views regarding temperateuse of food. The sayings of Thomas Cogan. The teachings ofCornaro. Experimental results obtained by various physiologists. Workof the writer on true proteid requirements. Studies with professional men.Nitrogen equilibrium with small amounts of food. Sample dietaries.Simplicity in diet. Nitrogen requirement per kilogram of body-weight.Fuel value of the daily food. Experiments with University athletes.Nitrogen balance and food consumption. Sample dietaries. Adequacyof a simple diet. | |
CHAPTER VI | |
| Further Experiments and Observations Bearing on TrueFood Requirements | |
| Topics: Dietary experiments with a detail of soldiers from the UnitedStates Army. General character of the army ration. Samples of thedaily dietary adopted. Rate of nitrogen metabolism attained. Effect onbody-weight. Nitrogen balance with lowered proteid consumption. Influenceof low proteid on muscular strength of soldiers and athletes.Effect on fatigue. Effect on physical endurance. Fisher’s experimentson endurance. Dangers of underfeeding. Dietary observations on fruitarians.Observations on Japanese. Recent dietary changes in Japanesearmy and navy. Observations of Dr. Hunt on resistance of low proteidanimals to poisons. Conclusions. | |
CHAPTER VII | |
| The Effect of Low Proteid Diet on High Proteid Animals | |
| Topics: A wide variety of foods quite consistent with temperance in diet.Safety of low proteid standards considered. Arguments based on thealleged effects of low proteid diet on high proteid animals. Experimentsof Immanuel Munk with dogs. Experiments of Rosenheim. Experimentsof Jägerroos. Comments on the above experiments. The experiments ofWatson and Hunter on rats. The writer’s experiments with dogs. Detailsof the results obtained with six dogs. Comparison of the results withthose of previous investigators. Effect of a purely vegetable diet on dogs.Different nutritive value of specific proteids considered. Possible influenceof difference in chemical constitution of individual proteids. Effect of lowproteid diet on the absorption and utilization of food materials in the intestineof dogs. General conclusions from the results of experiments withanimals. | |
CHAPTER VIII | |
| Practical Applications with Some Additional Data | |
| Topics: Proper application of the results of scientific research helpful tomankind. Dietary habits should be brought into conformity with the trueneeds of the body. The peculiar position of proteid foods emphasized.The evil effects of overeating. What the new dietary standards reallyinvolve. The actual amounts of foodstuffs required. Relation of nutritivevalue to cost of foods. The advantages of simplicity in diet. A sampledietary for a man of 70 kilograms body-weight. A new method of indicatingfood values. Moderation in the daily dietary leads toward vegetablefoods. The experiments of Dr. Neumann. The value of fruits as food.The merits of animal and vegetable proteids considered in relation to thebacterial processes in the intestine. A notable case of simplicity in diet.Intelligent modification of diet to the temporary needs of the body. Dietin summer and winter contrasted. Value of greater protection to thekidneys. Conclusion. | |
| INDEX |