Sun Lee
Milk Powder The distended bellies seen on some starving kids comes, in part, from a swollen liver. It’s typical of kwashiorkor, malnutrition from a lack of protein, which makes the liver unable to get rid of fat. Those who have eaten almost nothing get the skeletal look of marasmus, as the body consumes its own fat and muscle. Both conditions signal a desperate need for protein and electrolytes. Milk-based F-100 contains both, so it’s essential in famine zones.
Vegetable Fat Milk fat for butter, cream, and candy can be expensive, so manufacturers spike some skimmed dairy products with cheaper, vegetable-based lipids. F-100 gets up to 60 percent of its calories from (mostly vegetable) fat.
Sodium This is readily available in one of the world’s most common electrolytes, sodium chloride (aka table salt). Our bodies need sodium ions and their positive charge to regulate fluids in tissue and help nerves and muscles communicate. Abnormally low sodium levels throw the body’s electrolyte balance out of whack, causing cells to swell with water. In the brain, this condition can lead to confusion, seizures, coma, even death.
Potassium Another electrolyte, potassium works with sodium to generate the electrical current necessary for muscle function. It also helps regulate blood pressure and promote healthy growth. Potassium salts are usually extracted from potash ore deposits—the dried-up remains of ancient seabeds.
Calcium Important for bones and teeth, this element is even more essential in cell physiology. As it moves in and out of the cytoplasm, the calcium ion Ca 2+ helps regulate enzymatic activity in cells. F-100 delivers dietary calcium in the form of compounds like calcium carbonate, which is basically pulverized, purified limestone.
Magnesium Potential boosts in cognitive performance and memory are just two of magnesium’s many benefits. It’s also important in such things as protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, and blood-sugar maintenance. Magnesium oxide is a relatively inexpensive source, often produced from seawater.
Iron Hemoglobin transports oxygen to every tissue in the body, thanks to the strong bond between iron and oxygen. But that means people need iron. In nutritional supplements like F-100, which has to be cheap, it often comes in the form of ferrous sulfate, an inexpensive byproduct of steel manufacturing.
