Avitaminosis. XVII. Influence of High Fat-Containing Diets on Vitamin B 1 Requirements. ∗

Abstract

In a previous investigation 1 it was demonstrated that as much as 30% of fat in the diet has no sparing action on vitamin B requirements for lactation of the rat. In this study the problem has been extended to the non-lactating rat.

The following series of experiments were planned with the objective of increasing the protein as well as the fat content of the ration, at the same time keeping constant a high vitamin G content by the introduction of 15% of dehydrated autoclaved beef. The beef, purchased as round steak, was freed from all visible fat and bones and after autoclaving and drying at 100°C., contained 83% crude protein. The composition of the rations is given in Table I. It will be noted that the protein content varied from 19.98% to 33.37%, and the fat content ranged from 0 to 50%. That all the rations had a high vitamin G content became apparent after excellent growth was secured by the daily supplementation of a vitamin B concentrate, which was a Fuller's earth adsorbate kindly furnished by Dr. Jansen of Holland. Food consumption records showed that there was a daily intake of 500 to 600 mg. of autoclaved beef, which should have assured an abundant intake of vitamin G.

The results of 5 groups of animals on the dietary regime outlined in Table I disclosed that neither increasing the fat nor the protein in the ration, containing an abundance of vitamin G, is followed by any noteworthy sparing action on vitamin B₁ requirements of the non-lactating albino rat.

Our next efforts were to determine if administering sub-optimum daily allowances of vitamin B₁, additional increment of growth would become apparent on rations containing greater proportions of protein and fat.