Methods for assessing the level of nutrition. A carbohydrate tolerance test for vitamin B1

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Abstract
When rats were restricted for prolonged periods to various graded suboptimal intakes of vit. B1 the excretion of bisulphite-binding-substances (B.B.S.) in the urine reached levels proportional to the extent of the deficiency. The adm. of Na lactate intensified the excretion of B.B.S. at each level of deficiency and minor deficiencies were thus made more readily apparent. The adm. of a single dose of vit. B1 gave [alpha]- temporary respite from this abnormal excretion of B.B.S. in proportion to the size of the dose. The optimum amt. needed to secure normal carbohydrate metabolism (maximum tolerance) was many times the ordinary bare pror tective dose. Proposed applications are: (1) in rat tests for the assay of vit. B1 in foods, by analysis of rat urine; (2) for assessing the level of nutrition of human subjects, as an alternative to measurements of the vit. B1 in urine. Preliminary tests on human subjects indicate that an increase in B.B.S. can be produced by a diet low in vit. B1 and that high values frequently accompany subnormal excretion of vit. B1 (e.g., during pregnancy).