Vitamins in human nutrition

Abstract

IN a report issued by the Ministry of Health, Lowry & Pearse [1929] stated that "the diet in the households of the unemployed men [in the South Wales coalfields] comprised little beyond white bread, butter or margarine, potatoes, sugar, jam, tea and bacon in limited quantity", and expressed the opinion that "such a diet could be much improved if greater use were made of wholemeal bread ". The point here raised is one of much interest in human dietetics, and it was thought worth while to undertake some animal feeding experiments to examine more fully various aspects of the question. At the outset our principal objects were (1) to compare the vitamin B1 contents of several diets of this kind, as actually taken in the mining area, and (2) to explore the possibility of improving them by addition of wholemeal bread or in other ways.