This book reviews the research pertaining to nutrient requirements for working in cold or in high-altitude environments and states recommendations regarding the application of this information to military operational rations. It addresses whether, aside from increased energy demands, cold or high-altitude environments elicit an increased demand or requirement for specific nutrients, and whether performance in cold or high-altitude environments can be enhanced by the provision of increased amounts of specific nutrients.

This book shows how vitamin A deficiency – before the vitamin was known to scientists – affected millions of people throughout history. It is a story of sailors and soldiers, penniless mothers, orphaned infants, and young children left susceptible to blindness and fatal infections. We also glimpse the fortunate ones who, with ample vitamin A-rich food, escaped this elusive stalker. Why were people going blind and dying? To unravel this puzzle, scientists around the world competed over the course of a century. Their persistent efforts led to the identification of vitamin A and its essential role in health. As a primary focus of today’s international public health efforts, vitamin A has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. But, we discover, they could save many more were it not for obstacles erected by political and ideological zealots who lack a historical perspective of the problem. Although exhaustively researched and documented, this book is written for intellectually curious lay readers as well as for specialists. Public health professionals, nutritionists, and historians of science and medicine have much to learn from this book about the cultural and scientific origins of their disciplines. Likewise, readers interested in military and cultural history will learn about the interaction of health, society, science, and politics. The author’s presentation of vitamin A deficiency is likely to become a classic case study of health disparities in the past as well as the present.

Vitamins in Animal and Human Nutrition contains concise, up-to-date information on vitamin nutrition for both animals and humans. The author defines these nutrients and describes their fascinating discovery, history and relationship to various diseases and deficiencies. Discussion of vitamins also includes their chemical structure, properties and antagonists; analytical procedures; metabolism; functions; requirements; sources; supplementation and toxicity. Vitamin-like substances, essential fatty acids and vitamin supplementation considerations are also examined. This book will be useful worldwide as a textbook and as an authoritative reference for research and extension specialists, feed manufacturers, teachers, students and others. It provides a well-balanced approach to both animal and clinical human nutrition and compares chemical, metabolic and functional aspects of vitamins and their practical and applied considerations. A unique feature of the book is its description of the implications of vitamin deficiencies and excesses and the conditions that might occur in human and various animal species.