Professor Jaffa, who made the investigation, says:--"It would appear that
all the subjects were decidedly under-nourished, even making allowance for
their light weight. But when we consider that the two adults have lived
upon this diet for seven years, and think they are in better health and
capable of more work than they ever were before, we hesitate to pronounce
judgment. The three children had the appearance of health and strength.
They ran and jumped and played all day like ordinary healthy children, and
were said to be unusually free from colds and other complaints common to
childhood. The youngest child, and the only one who has lived as a
fruitarian almost from infancy was certainly undeveloped. She looked fully
two years younger than she was. Still, there are so many children who are
below the average in development, whose dietaries conform to the ordinary
standards, that it would be unfair to draw any conclusions until many more
such investigations are made."
The research shows that not only is there need of a revision of the
"standard" quantity of proteids, but also of the carbo-hydrates and fats.
It is generally said by those who have no practical experience amongst
vegetarians, that the latter require a much larger quantity of food than
do those who include flesh. The truth is that vegetarians eat less, often
much less. It is a common experience that vegetable food has a more
staying power, and a much longer period can be allowed between meals,
without the inconvenience that a flesh-eater, especially a flesh and
alcohol consumer, suffers. This is due, in part at least, to its less
stimulating character and its slower digestion. This fact has been shown
by the success of vegetarians in feats of strength and endurance, and
especially in the comparatively fresh condition in which they have
finished long walking, cycling, tennis, and other matches. Those who
attempt to prolong their powers of endurance by flesh extracts and
stimulating foods and drinks, usually finish in a very exhausted
condition. The superior endurance and recovery from wounds, when compared
with our English soldiers, of simple feeding men, such as the Zulus, Turks
and Japanese, has often been remarked. It is often said that vegetable
food, as it contains more fibre and is slower of digestion, taxes the
bodily organs more. If we attempted to eat uncooked, the more fibrous
vegetables, the grains, and unripe fruit, it would be quite true, but it
is not so of the ordinary food of vegetarians. A slowness of digestion
does not necessarily imply a greater strain on the system. As vegetables,
in particular, are for the longest period of time in the intestines, and
undergo the greater part of their digestion there, a gentle and slow
process of digestion in that organ may be more thorough. It may also
entail less expenditure of nervous energy than if the food had been of
such a stimulating character, as to be hurried along the digestive tract.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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