Robert McCance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert McCance
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| Born | 9 December 1898 |
| Died | 5 March 1993 (aged 95) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Known for | Salt deficiency effects. Iron regulation mechanism. National Loaf. The Chemistry of Flesh Foods and their Losses on Cooking, Modern nutrition |
| Awards | James Spence Medal in 1961 FRS CBE FRCP |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mineral metabolism, Pediatrics, Biochemistry, Nutrition |
| Institutions | Royal Naval Air Service, King's College Hospital, University of Cambridge |
| Doctoral advisor | Frederick Gowland Hopkins |
| Influences | Sir Joseph Barcroft, Winifred Young |
Robert Alexander McCance (born December 9, 1898, died March 5, 1993) was a famous British scientist. He was a doctor who specialized in children's health (a paediatrician), a body function expert (physiologist), a chemical expert (biochemist), and a food expert (nutritionist). He became the first Professor of Experimental Medicine at the University of Cambridge. He is known for his important work on how our bodies use salt and iron, and for helping create the "National Loaf" during wartime.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert McCance was born in Ulster in 1898. His father was a linen merchant. Robert went to St. Bees School. During World War I, he served in the Royal Naval Air Service. He flew observation planes from the warship HMS Indomitable.
In 1919, he started studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge University. He had first begun a course in Agriculture. In 1925, he went on to study medicine at King's College Hospital in London. While there, he became interested in diabetes. He especially studied a problem called sodium chloride (salt) deficiency, which can happen with diabetic coma. This interest led him to a scientific career focused on nutrition.
Important Research and Discoveries
In the 1930s, while at King's College, McCance did research on salt. He studied how a lack of salt affects the human body. He worked with volunteers who ate a diet with no salt. They would also sweat under heat lamps for two hours a day for 10 days. This helped remove salt from their bodies.
The volunteers would feel symptoms like cramps, shortness of breath, and nausea. This research showed that babies with salt deficiency also lost very little salt from their bodies. This was a very important discovery.
Later, McCance studied how the body handles iron. It was believed that the body got rid of extra iron through the intestines. However, his research showed that the body actually controls how much iron it absorbs. This was a new and important understanding of how our bodies work.
Key Publications and Wartime Efforts
In 1933, McCance and his colleague H. Shipp published a book. It was called The Chemistry of Flesh Foods and their Losses on Cooking. In 1940, he wrote another very important book with his colleague Elsie Widdowson. This book was titled The Chemical Composition of Foods. It became a standard reference book for many years. Their work laid the foundation for modern Western nutrition.
During World War II, McCance and Widdowson played a big part in government efforts to manage food. They helped with wartime rationing. Their research helped ensure people got enough nutrients during difficult times.
The National Loaf
McCance's research also led to the creation of the National Loaf. He studied how the body absorbs calcium and other nutrients. His studies showed that a substance called phytate in brown flour could stop the body from absorbing calcium properly.
He found that adding calcium carbonate (which is like chalk) to bread mix could fix this problem. This discovery led to a law that is still in place today. This law makes sure that chalk is added to bread mix. This helps people get enough calcium from their bread.
Later Career and Recognition
After the war, in 1945, Robert McCance became the first professor of experimental medicine in the UK. He also directed the Medical Research Council's unit for child malnutrition in Kampala, Uganda.
He was recognized for his important contributions to science. In 1948, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 1953, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Robert McCance passed away on March 5, 1993, in Cambridge.
Awards and Honours
- James Spence Gold Medal, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
