This monograph is a review of the literature pertaining to the interrelationship of nutrition and climatic stress. The material, originally prepared for the Quartermaster Food and Container Institute of the Armed Forces, has been revised to consider references up to about Oct. 1, 1949.
The chief climatic stress factors discussed are cold, heat, and altitude. For each there is a discussion of the general physiological effects of the stress factor, its effect on nutrient requirements, and the effect of the diet on tolerance to the stress. Even though the review is concerned chiefly with man, a large amount of animal experimentation is discussed. The authors emphasize that often there is a considerable discrepancy between the results of animal and those of human experimentation. In certain situations, "animal experimentation has furnished an unsafe guide to human responses to climatic and dietary changes and interactions." The authors conclude that there is a