Page:800 proved pecan recipes- their place in the menu (IA 0519PECA).pdf/42

 nearly 5% of the total day’s iron ration, which is more than 2% times as much as that supplied by fruits of an equal weight, three times as much as that supplied by vegetables, greater than that of cereals and even superior to the average meats. You hear of dates, figs, prunes, olives and spinach mentioned for their high content of iron—do you realize that pecans belong in the same leading class, being practically equal to any of these in iron content? Compared to raisins, tapioca, fresh lima .beans, green peas, graham, rye and entire wheat bread, pecans are considerably higher in iron. -Pecans contain more than twice as much iron as macaroni, cheese, cabbage and potatoes, almost three times as much as cornmeal, almost four times as much as lettuce, almost four times as much as lemon juice, more than five times as much as celery and turnips, more than six times as much as tomatoes, almost nine times as much as grape fruit, more than ten times as much as milk and almost thirteen times as much as oranges. It is only the lack of knowledge on the part of the general public regarding the high content of pecans in iron and the other desirable mineral salts that leads to the large use of other products far less efficient.

Lime is next in importance among the mineral salts, because lime makes up three per cent. of the total body weight, gives solidity to the bones, con- trols the contraction of the muscles and regulates the heart beat. Lime controls also the coagula- tion of the blood and when a blood test demon-