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people. Nevertheless, I recommend for complete vegetarians the use of fortified soy milk, nutritional yeast, or a supplemental form of B12. This can prevent the only major nutritional threat to complete vegetarians, who commonly eat a variety of natural foods. Vitamin C has one of the more controversial reputations among these interesting chemicals. Also called ascorbic acid. This valuable coenzyme is required to maintain the integrity of blood vessels and skin. It actually serves as the “glue” to bind cells, joints, and connective tissues together. Raw fruits and vegetables are most important sources of Vitamin C, as are potatoes cooked “with their jacket on” or baked, cabbage—including Cole slaw— and tomatoes. Rose hips can supply Vitamin C during The winter, used especially by people living in northern climates. Some fresh vegetables, citrus fruit, or melon can be eaten daily to obtain adequate amounts of this vitamin. If one eats a natural diet including some of the above foods, it is not normally necessary to take large supplemental doses to prevent colds. Neither is the course of cancer appreciably altered by massive doses of this vitamin. The conservation of Vitamin C, however, is very important. Prolonged cooking of vegetables will dissolve and oxidize many water-soluble vitamins. If this cooking water is discarded, the nutrients will then be lost, the use of cooking water should be kept to a minimum. However, it may be saved and used in preparation of gravies, sauces ,or even used in baking bread. Avoiding much food contact with oxygen to help conserve Vitamin C. Strawberries, preserved with their caps on, or eaten as soon as possible after picking, will have much more Vitamin C than those that are cut or stored for prolonged periods at room temperature. Shredded cabbage should be used fresh. When allowed to sit, particularly in an uncovered container, the Vitamin C losses are heavy. A little attention to vitamin conservation in fruits, as well as grains, will go a long way toward stretching the food dollar, helping it to yield the best nutrient dividends. Minerals Over sixteen different mineral compounds have been found to be essential for man’ s nutrition. Even more elements have been found in trace amounts in the “ash” of human flesh. Nonetheless their complete purpose and functions are as yet unknown. Four of these minerals are thought to be of major importance for our daily diet. These are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. The others are called trace minerals, because of their much smaller requirement. However, they are by no means less essential. I will discuss a few of these in detail, because of their known importance to body health and the preservation of certain diseases.