British Food Journal Volume 29 Issue 7 1927

Abstract

The curative effects of lemon and orange juice in treatment of scurvy have been known for about two hundred years, and long precede our knowledge of the accessory food factors in any chemical sense. It is now generally known that scurvy is caused by the absence of water‐soluble vitamin C from the diet. The anti‐scorbutic factor occurs in fresh fruits, especially orange, lemon, and tomato. Lime juice is inferior in this respect. It is also present in green vegetables and some tubers. Being readily destroyed by oxidation, it is not usually present in dried fruits or preserved lemon or lime juice. After sprouting, seeds and roots become a comparatively rich source. Thus, in contradistinction to vitamin B, which is found chiefly in dried seeds, vitamin C is associated with fresh fruit and vegetables in which active metabolic processes are proceeding. Light does not appear to be necessary for its generation in seeds on germination. The requirements by animals of this vitamin vary considerably. Thus rats, mice and rabbits can be fed without apparent harm on a diet which contains no vitamin C, but man and the ape, monkey and guinea pig are susceptible to scurvy on such a diet.

Citation

(1927), "British Food Journal Volume 29 Issue 7 1927", British Food Journal, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 61-70. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb011188