Appendix 1

DAILY REQUIREMENTS OF PROTEINS, MINERALS, AND VITAMINS FOR THE HEALTHY ADULT

Protein

1 gram of protein for every two pounds of body weight. A person weighing 150 pounds should thus consume 75 grams of protein per day. This amounts to approximately six eggs’ worth, or 8 ounces of steak.

Carbohydrates

160–240 grams, equivalent to 300–400 grams of bread (10–14 ounces) or 400–500 grams of rice

Fat

Not more than .25 gram a day for every pound of your ideal body weight, thus if your ideal weight is 150 pounds you should not consume more than 35 grams of fat per day. Two fried eggs exceed that amount, as do 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of whole-milk cheese. A single cream puff will probably carry a hefty 100 grams of fat.

Fiber

At least 25 grams a day, but the more fiber you eat the better. In the Chinese countryside, 90 grams of fiber a day is considered normal. You would have to eat 1½ pounds of green peas, a high-fiber food, to consume 25 grams of fiber.

Calcium

400–500 milligrams per day, equivalent to one pint of milk. The daily requirement increases to 1000–1400 milligrams during pregnancy and lactation.

Phosphorus

1 gram per day. One hundred grams (3.5 ounces) of meat or mushrooms, or a mere 30 grams (1 ounce) of fish, meets the daily requirement.

Iron

10 milligrams per day. Higher dosages (18 milligrams per day) are necessary for women during their childbearing years (from puberty to menopause), to replenish blood iron lost during menstruation. Iron in the body is used many times over. Intake is necessary only to replenish that which is lost in the feces, during menstruation, or through other blood loss. Women in their childbearing years therefore require more iron than others.

It is dangerous to consume too much iron because excess iron is not easily eliminated. One hundred grams (3½ ounces) of brown bread, meat, spinach, or soybeans contain 2–3 milligrams. One cup of kidney beans contains 5.2 milligrams; 100 grams (3½ ounces) of chives contain 8.5 milligrams; 100 grams of cocoa contains 11.5 milligrams; and 100 grams of pork liver contains18 milligrams of iron.

Vitamin A

5000 IU (increase to 8000 IU during pregnancy and lactation). Two oranges, one mango, or 10 ounces of cheese would each provide 5000 IU.

Vitamin B₁ (Thiamine)

1.25–1.5 milligrams, equivalent to one bowl of oatmeal or one-half cup of sprouted wheat berries.

Vitamin B₂ (Riboflavin)

1.7–2 milligrams, equivalent to 400 grams (14 ounces) of almonds, or 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of liver.

Niacin

20 milligrams, equivalent to 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of liver, or of peanuts.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

60 milligrams, although megadoses (500– 1000 milligrams) function as a valid antioxidant. You can get 60 milligrams of vitamin C from a glass of orange juice or a bowl of fresh strawberries; one would have to go about consuming larger quantities more systematically. Remember that vitamin C is destroyed by heat, and decreases with the passage of time between picking and eating.

The last five essential vitamins and minerals listed in this table are not included in the nutrient properties of foods discussed in chapter 4. They are nonetheless important to health and wellness, and are therefore included here.

Magnesium

400 milligrams. Magnesium activates an enzyme that allows the absorption of carbohydrates in the body. It is common in greenleaf vegetables and in beans. One-half cup of raw parsley contains 13 milligrams of magnesium, one cup of raw spinach contains 22 milligrams, and 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of stir-fried soybean sprouts contain 28 milligrams.

Iodine

150 micrograms. Iodine is indispensable for the thyroid gland’s synthesis of the hormone thyroxine. It is found in soil and most underground water supplies and is absorbed into the body by consuming vegetables grown in an iodine-rich soil. In areas lacking iodine in the soil, goitre, a swelling of the neck due to iodine deficiency, used to be common. Nowadays most brands of table salt have added iodine. Iodine deficiency is therefore extremely rare.

Copper

2 milligrams. Copper appears to aid the action of iron in the formation of red blood corpuscles. Bodily requirements are so low that there is rarely any real danger of deficiency. A two-cup portion of boiled soybeans provides 2 milligrams of copper. Small amounts are found in most foods.

Zinc

15 milligrams.¹ Zinc is essential to the red blood corpuscles for the metabolism of carbon dioxide. It is also an important factor in regulating enzyme production, protein synthesis, muscular contraction, the formation of insulin, and the acid-alkaline balance in the blood. Zinc is found in meat, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and eggs.

Vitamin E

30 IU. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant, indispensable for maintaining cellular efficiency and youthfulness. Wheat germ is the richest source of vitamin E; a single tablespoon provides 20.3 milligrams. Almonds, sweet potatoes, and greenleaf vegetables are also rich in vitamin E.