FOOD ELEMENTS and
SIMPLICITY of DIET
by
E. H. RISLEY, M.D.
Chair of Chemistry, College of Medical Evangelists,
Loma Linda, California
"Food is any substance that, being taken into the body of animal or plant, serves, through organic action, to build up normal structure or supply waste of tissue."
Food principles or elements are commonly grouped into the following classes:
- 1. Proteins
- 2. Fats
- 3. Carbohydrates
- 4. Inorganic salts
- 5. Vitamines
- 6. Water
A brief discussion of these food elements will help our readers to select their food supply more intelligently.
Proteins
The first class of food substances mentioned above are of very great importance to the body. The term "protein" really means, "of first importance." These compounds are represented by such foods as the white of egg, lean meat, gluten of wheat, and casein of milk. Chemically, proteins are very complex, more so than any other class of food materials. They have in their structure the chemical elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, often sulphur and phosphorus, and, less commonly, iron. The nitrogenous element seems to be the most important, since the others mentioned can be obtained from other classes of food; but as these classes of food cannot take the place of protein, it seems clear that the nitrogen is the important constituent.
Most proteins coagulate on heating. An illustration of this property is the coagulation of the white of an egg when the egg is cooked. The proteins all undergo decomposition quite easily. This is evidenced by the ease with which eggs and meat spoil.