Beer : Health and Nutrition

44 Chapter Two
Table 2.2 Estimated nutritive value of the diets listed in Table 2.1 (and the 1826 diet referred to in the
text).
Diet 1 Diet 2 Diet 3 Diet 4 Diet 5 1826 diet Requirement*
Energy (kcal) 4750 5800 2350 5500 2900 2050 2550
Protein (g) 200 150 70 160 80 70 63
Fat (g) 190 250 80 180 100 120 a
Calcium (mg) 1.3 2.6 0.9 1.9 0.7 0.1 800
Phosphorus (g) 4.2 3.7 1.7 3.7 1.9 1.2 0.8
Iron (mg) 39 24 14 36 18 18 10
Vitamin A (i.u.) 2800 6350 3200 1750 1450 1150 1 mg
Thiamine (mg) 1.5 1.9 1.1 2.6 1.6 0.8 1.5
Ribo avin (mg) 3.7 3.9 1.7 4.0 1.5 1.3 1.7
Nicotinic acid (mg) 68 84 40 100 46 28 19
Vitamin C (mg)† ? ? ? ? ? 0 60
Vitamin D (i.u.) 950 100 25 26 22 19 5 µg
*Requirement for adult male, aged 25–50, according to the Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of
Sciences and British Nutrition Foundation.
†Uncertain due to dif culty of estimating vegetable consumption and heat-dependent losses in cooking.
a For a diet containing alcohol, it is recommended that the total dietary energy should be 47% as carbohydrate,
33% as fat and 15% as protein.
Table 2.3 Expenditure on foodstuffs, 1881.
Item Expenditure per head per day (pence)
Bread 0.59
Potatoes 0.27
Vegetables 0.14
Meat 0.79
Fish 0.11
Butter and cheese 0.28
Milk and eggs 0.33
Fruit etc 0.08
Sugar 0.21
Tea 0.12
Coffee etc 0.02
Beer 0.59
Spirits 0.32
Wines 0.07
Total 3.92
Source: British Association for the Advancement of Science (1981).
Values converted to decimal pence from the old shillings and pence.
In 1881 it was estimated that expenditure on beer in the average household was one
of the three major outlays (Table 2.3) (Burnett 1966).
The development of teetotalism and the push for prohibition was moving apace in
the late nineteenth century, featuring among others the Salvation Army. It was even
suggested in 1903 that alcoholic drinks should only be taken with meals. Balance this