Though it is eating animal and vegetable foods together that furthers digestion of all food eaten, there are some foods that seem especially to promote digestion. Such, rather than direct nourishment of the body, is the principal use in the diet of many fruits and green vegetables. These foods contain water in large quantity and mineral salts in large proportion to all their solid constituents. They give a sense of freshness and well-being by enabling the body to do all its work well through being kept in good running order. Mineral salts and water are needed in growth, also throughout life for regulating the body-action within the body itself.

Green vegetables and fruits usually also contain vegetable fiber (cellulose) in relatively large quantity. This is practically indigestible. Its presence tends, however, to increase the peristaltic action in the intestine. This aids in freeing the alimentary tract of food-waste products. When these are not removed, they encourage germ-life, that may disorder digestion, even when no specific disease, such as typhoid fever, is caused by the presence of disease-germs.

Nature has produced some foods that, when properly used, help the body to work without itself being overworked by digesting the food that life and work require.

Laxative foods are such. They especially aid the body in keeping itself free from food-waste. Such foods should be used instead of medicines for this purpose. These are :

Tomatoes, onions, spinach, rhubarb, green vegetables in general. Apples, peaches (ripe), orange- and grape-juice, prunes, dates, figs. Cereals, mush, bread (rye, graham, whole-wheat), gingerbread. Olive-oil at night. Water at night and in morning 1/2 hr. before breakfast.

Whatever diet will do for the body is more wholesomely done thus than in any other way.