Henry Borsook Papers

Henry Borsook, 1897-1984, was a Professor of Biochemistry at Caltech from 1929 to 1968. His major contributions were in the areas of protein synthesis and nutrition. At Caltech, Borsook was twice chairman of the faculty, chaired the student health committee for many years, and sponsored the Anaximandrian Society at his home. Borsook's interest in proteins led him, in the early 1930s, to a new theory about their metabolism. At that time, scientists believed the proteins were probably very stable; Borsook demonstrated there was a continual interchange of proteins. His 1940 book, Vitamins: What They Are and What They Will Do for You, was among the first to present contemporary nutritional ideas to a popular audience. Borsook showed that a good diet consisted not of "food" but of certain amounts of specific nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, calories, and the like. During World War II he served on the Food and Nutrition Board, and helped to draw up the table of Recommended Daily Allowances. At this time he also developed multipurpose food (MPF), an enriched meal based on soybeans. The Meals for Millions Foundation, of which Borsook was a co-founder and long-time trustee, distributed MPF first to post-war Europe and later to underdeveloped areas. Throughout his lifetime, Borsook championed the idea that a good diet was not tied to eating specific foods, but could be scientifically manufactured. After retiring from Caltech in 1968, Henry Borsook moved his laboratory to U. C. Berkeley where he continued working until the late 1970s.