Frank Wokes | |
|---|---|
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| Born | February 1, 1892 West Derby, England |
| Died | April 1, 1974(1974-04-01) (aged 82) Dacorum, England |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Biochemist, nutritionist |
Frank Wokes (1 February 1892 – 1 April 1974) was an Englishbiochemist,nutritionist andvegetarianism activist known for his research on the nutritional aspects ofVitamin B12 andVitamin B12 deficiency. He was an early advocate offood fortification.
Wokes was born on 1 February 1892 inLiverpool.[1][2] His father was Thomas Siminson Wokes ofGrassendale.[3]
He qualified at theLondon School of Pharmacy in 1914 and studied biochemistry and nutrition at theUniversity of Liverpool.[2][4] He served with the Vegetarian Field and Ambulance Unit duringWorld War I.[4] He was assistant biochemist and pharmacologist at the UCL School of Pharmacy from 1927 to 1940.[2] He obtained a London doctorate in 1938 for his research intohormones andvitamins.[4]
Wokes was director of research at Ovaltine Research Laboratory (1941–1959) and at the Vegetarian Nutritional Research Centre. He was a member of theRoyal Society of Medicine,Royal Institute of Chemistry and theBritish Pharmacological Society.[1] He touredIndia at the age of 77 and worked with Government officials, Universities and Research Institutes.[4]
Wokes was a life-long vegetarian having been born to a vegetarian family.[4] In 1959, he established the Vegetarian Nutritional Research Centre atStanborough Park, nearWatford.[4] Wokes collaborated with theVegetarian Society to provide nutritional evidence for the benefits of vegetarian diets.[5] The Centre was eventually incorporated into the Vegetarian Society.[6] At the centre he conducted experiments on plant alternatives to cow's milk.[4]
In 1968, Wokes co-founded the journalPlant Foods for Human Nutrition.[4][7] In 1974, it was described as an "international journal devoted to the role of plant foods in human nutrition and designed to discuss methods of dealing with the problem of world food shortage."[8]
Wokes authored over one hundred scientific papers on nutrition, some of which were on Vitamin B12.[4] He was consulted by the war time Minister of Food. In 1941, he authoredFood: The Deciding Factor which sold over 50,000 copies and converted many to vegetarianism.[4] In his later life, Wokes became avegan.[4] He was a vice-president of theVegan Society.[9]
He attended the 18thWorld Vegetarian Congress in 1965 and applied as a member to form their Science Council.[10]
The deficiency of Vitamin B12 which may occur in vegans was first described by Wokes to the International Congress of Nutrition inAmsterdam in 1954.[11] Wokes and the Vegetarian Nutritional Research Centre took interest in studying the health of vegans in India as they were marked with Vitamin B12 deficiency more than vegetarians consuming dairy products.[11] In the 1960s, Wokes found that serum B12 levels in vegans were much lower than the average levels in vegetarians and meat-eaters. He did not oppose Vitamin B12 injections but suggested that a more efficient and inexpensive method for vegans to get Vitamin B12 was from suitable fortified foods.[12]
Wokes married Gladys Winifred Gale in September 1930.[2][3] They had two children.[4] His brother A. Wokes and his wife from Woodhall were vice-presidents of the Lincolnshire Vegetarian Society.[13]