26 August

1743 – Antoine Lavoisier was born, regarded as the father of the science of nutrition. Lavoisier proved that the combustion process involves combination of various chemical substances and oxygen, and proved that respiration in plants and animals represents the slow combustion of organic matter using oxygen from the atmosphere. He proved the link between body heat and CO2 that occur in animals. He was able to measure oxygen consumption and CO2 release in man, and realized that both increase after consuming food and physical exertion.

Lavoisier most famous quote: “La vie est donc une combustion.” – “Life is therefore a combustion process.”

Unfortunately, his life ended under the French Revolution guillotine.

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