Physiological economy in nutrition, with special reference to the minimal proteid requirement of the healthy man: an experimental studyChittenden, R. H. (Russell Henry)
Science
Physiological economy in nutrition, with special reference to the minimal proteid requirement of the healthy man: an experimental study
Chittenden, R. H. (Russell Henry)
Metabolism; Nutrition
Further, the practice of such economy led to marked improvement in the
working of the neuro-muscular machinery, sufficiently noticeable to
attract the attention of the men themselves, apart from the records of
the dynamometer, etc. Indeed, it has been the universal feeling among all
the subjects of experiment that they were less conscious of fatigue than
formerly, or that they could do more work without the feeling of fatigue
that is usually so conspicuous after heavy work, or long-continued
muscular strain. We thus have for consideration an added factor, viz.,
the possible improvement of the physical condition of the body under a
lowered proteid intake. This question, however, we shall discuss more
fully later on. It is enough for the present to simply emphasize the
fact that with a greatly diminished proteid metabolism the body suffers
no harm, the muscular machinery is as well able to perform its work as
usual, and consequently there would seem to be no adequate reason why our
daily dietary should be cumbered with such quantities of proteid matter
as are generally considered necessary for health and strength.
There is one point of great importance in this connection that should not
be overlooked, viz., whether the power of resistance toward disease is
diminished in any way by a continued low proteid intake. This is surely a
proper question, and one that must be carefully considered. Fortunately
or unfortunately, we have no facts at our disposal. We have the belief,
however, engendered by the results so far obtained, that there is no
good ground for assuming the body to be any more susceptible to disease
under conditions of low proteid metabolism than when supplied with an
excess of proteid food. Indeed, it has been somewhat remarkable how free
from all troubles—even during a very trying winter—the subjects of this
experiment have been. We believe that economy in the use of proteid
food, curtailment of proteid metabolism to a degree commensurate with
the real needs of the body, will prove helpful to health, but we have no
convincing facts to present,—only the simple statement that all the men
have been well and remarkably free from colds and other minor ailments
all through the experiment.
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