OVER IN Italy, the vitamin situation couldn’t be more different. A typical Italian consumes around a single milligram of thiamin per day—less than what Americans consumed in 1940. Italians consume half as much niacin and riboflavin as Americans do today. Italians look more like Team D. Their growth is “normal,” whereas in America weight gain is “optimal.” Italians have access to some legendary sweets, not to mention bottled juice and soda. Could it be that one of the reasons they don’t overindulge is that on some level the Italian brain understands it doesn’t have the niacin to metabolize all
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