Maggie was a subject in a clinical study that was designed to determine the effects of certain diets on health. while participating in the study, she had to live in a special unit of the university hospital. she could only eat the synthetic formula diet that was provided by the scientists who were in charge of the study. the formula contains vitamins, minerals, choline, egg protein, purified water, and potato starch. within a few weeks, maggie's hair began to fall out and she developed patches of scaly skin on her arms and legs. when were added to her formula, the signs of the nutritional deficiency disappeared.