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
2000 calories, why should he load up his system each day with three times
this amount of proteid food, with enough more fat and carbohydrate to
yield 3000 plus calories?
Finally, the writer in summing up his own experience is inclined to say
that while he entered upon this experiment simply with a view to studying
the question from a purely scientific and physiological standpoint,
he has become so deeply impressed with the great gain to the body by
this practice of physiological economy, and his system has become so
accustomed to the new level of nutrition that there is no desire to
return to the more liberal dietetic habits of former years.
* * * * *
Obviously, it is not wise nor safe to draw too broad deductions from a
single individual, nor from a single experiment even though it extends
over a long period of time; consequently, we may turn our attention to
other individuals with presumably different personality and different
habits of life. The writer’s colleague, Dr. Lafayette B. Mendel,
Professor of Physiological Chemistry in the Sheffield Scientific School,
kindly volunteered to become a subject of experiment. With a body-weight
of 76 kilos, 32 years of age, and of strong physique, he commenced to
modify his diet about the middle of October, 1903, diminishing gradually
the amount of proteid food with the results shown in the following
tables, where are given, as in the preceding experiment, the amounts
of nitrogen in the urine, as a measure of the quantity of proteid
metabolized, uric acid, and other factors of interest in this connection.
The collection of data commenced on October 26, 1903. During some weeks
the urine of each day was not analyzed by itself, but an aliquot part
was taken from the 24 hours’ quantity, and at the end of a week the
determinations were made on the mixture, thereby giving the average
daily composition for the period. With Dr. Mendel, as in the writer’s
case, there was no prescribing of food, but perfect freedom of choice.
The appetite was satisfied each day, but with a gradual diminution of
proteid food, especially of meat. Dr. Mendel appeared to accomplish the
desired end best by keeping up a liberal allowance of non-nitrogenous
food, and the total potential energy of the daily diet was not so greatly
diminished as in the writer’s case. In other words, he appeared to need
more food, but succeeded without great effort in reducing the proteid
intake to nearly as low a level as in the preceding experiment. For the
period of three months from January 4 to April 3, 1904, the average daily
excretion of nitrogen amounted to 6.46 grams, which means the metabolism
of 40.37 grams of proteid or albuminous food per day for this quarter of
the year.
MENDEL.
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