Carrot Diet and Susceptibility to Acute “Anoxia.” ∗

Abstract

Summary

One hundred seven rats fed nothing but carrots for 10 days and 107 rats fed a stock diet were subjected to a simulated altitude of 30,000 ft for 2 hr. Eighty percent of the carrot-fed animals survived and only 20% of the controls survived. The animals on the carrot diet lost 1% oi their body weight per day.

A diet of nothing but fresh carrots fed to rats for 10 days for some unknown reason affords marked protection against the lethal effects of exposure to a simulated altitude (decompression chamber) of 30.000 ft for 2 hr. This confirms the observations of J. A. Campbell. 1