1951/02/01 by Isabella Leitch · 4 citations
Medicine · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Birth, Development, and Health #Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms #Spaceflight effects on biology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1079/bjn19510017
openalex publication_date 1951/02/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
A general introduction to a discussion on growth and health might take either of two main forms.It might review what we know about the material requirements for growth: the total energy needs, the grams of protein required to give this or that amount of soft tissue growth, the grams of calcium and phosphorus required for growth of the skeleton; it might discuss the functional importance of substances that make little material contribution to growth, and finally, sum up what we know about the interrelation of diet and resistance to infection.These are the subjects with the details of which most of the observational and experimental work in nutrition is, at the moment, concerned.It would take days to sum up the information; and, when that had been done, 1 doubt whether we should be able to do more than reaffirm general principles.These general principles are already well known.The concept of a balanced diet has become part of our 'common knowledge'.Perhaps partly because I shirked that major task, and partly because I think it is good, now and then, to lay aside the microscope and look at things with the naked eye, I have chosen the second approach.I n very general terms I am going to ask what we mean by good growth and by health and what the one has to do with the other.In experimental work with animals most often weight increase is taken as if it were synonymous with growth; less often growth is defined as increase in one or more linear dimensions.Obviously increase in weight may be increase in bone or muscle or fat