putrefaction. So it should be the aim to have enough, but not too much, protein, and to give due attention to the quality of the protein.
Mineral salts, while required in small quantities, are of enormous importance to our health.
CalciumCalcium and phosphorus are needed to build strong teeth and bones. They are the prime mineral elements in these tissues. Milk is by far the best source of calcium.
PhosphorusPhosphorus is part of every active body cell and, with calcium, gives rigidity to teeth and bones. Nerve and gland tissues especially demand it.
IronIron is another food essential. It enters into the composition of the red corpuscles of the blood and also is an element in the structure of all active cells. It is especially important that infants and adolescent boys and girls get an adequate iron supply. Spinach, egg yolk, green vegetables, and the outer layers of the grains provide iron in best quantities.
WaterThese are the important building materials for the body. To them, of course, must be added water, of which more than two-thirds of our body is composed.
The RegulatorsEven with all the building material ready at hand, there can be no satisfactory work accomplished within the body without proper regulation of the body machinery and a prompt disposition of its waste matter.
Minerals, water, and bulk must be provided in right amounts if the various body functions are to be kept on an uninterrupted schedule. The efficiency of each of these body regulators is increased by the use of right[ 13 ]
