Did You Know Just That Many Cancers Are Linked To A Vitamin Deficiency?
When were vitamins discovered, and how?
Who discovered them? How did we determine they were essential
for life and what diseases are cured by vitamins?
Let's explore the common vitamins and where they came from.
The History of Vitamins
By: Dr. George Obikoya
Vitamins
are organic substances that usually are separated into water-soluble
(such as B vitamins and vitamin C), and fat-soluble vitamins
(such as vitamins A, D, E, K). Vitamins are necessary for
normal health and growth in higher forms of animal and human
life.
Vitamins
are diverse in chemical structure and function. They were
originally defined as organic compounds obtainable in a
normal diet and capable of maintaining life and promoting
growth. We know now that vitamins play a huge role in our
daily well-being and nutrition. Vitamins are distinct from
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in function, as well as
in the quantities in which we require them. A number of
compounds such as choline and carnitine once grouped with
vitamins no longer are considered vitamins. If a vitamin
is absent from the diet or we don’t properly absorbed it,
a specific deficiency disease may develop. This was first
noted by the Englishman William Fletcher in 1905 while researching
the causes of the disease Beriberi, which he observed was
prevented by eating unpolished rather than polished rice.
He concluded that there husk of rice must have special nutrients,
which we know not today as vitamins.
In
1906, English biochemist Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins also
discovered that certain food factors were important to health.
The term vitamin originated from “vitamine,” a word first
used in 1911 by the Polish scientist Cashmir Funk to designate
a group of compounds considered vital for life; each was
thought to have a nitrogen-containing component known as
an amine. The final e of vitamine was dropped when it was
discovered that not all of the vitamins contain nitrogen,
and, therefore, not all are amines. The term accessory food
factor sometimes is used instead of vitamin to refer to
these substances. The following is a brief history of the
discovery of the different vitamins.
Vitamin
A: Elmer V. McCollum and M. Davis discovered vitamin A during
1912–1914. In 1913, Yale researchers, Thomas Osborne and
Lafayette Mendel discovered that butter contained a fat-soluble
nutrient soon known as vitamin A. Vitamin A was first synthesized
in 1947. Vitamin B was discovered by Elmer V. McCollum discovered
sometimes around 1915–1916 and Vitamin B1 by Casimir Funk
in 1912.
Vitamin
B2 was discovered by D. T. Smith, E. G. Hendrick in 1926.
Max Tishler invented methods for synthesizing the essential
vitamin B2. Niacin was discovered by American, Conrad Elvehjem
in 1937, folic acid by Lucy Wills in 1933. Vitamin BB6 was
discovered by Paul Gyorgy in 1934. The Scottish naval surgeon
James Lindin observed in 1747 that a nutrient in citrus
foods, now known to be Vitamin C, prevented scurvy. Vitamin
C was rediscovered by Norwegians, A. Hoist and T. Froelich
in 1912. Vitamin C was the first vitamin to be artificially
synthesized in 1935.
In
1922, Edward Mellanby discovered Vitamin D while researching
a disease called rickets. Vitamin E was discovered in 1922
in green leafy vegetables by University of California researchers,
Herbert Evans and Katherine Bishop discovered vitamin E
in green leafy vegetables.
Most
vitamins generally cannot be synthesized by animals or humans,
and if synthesized, the amounts are insufficient to meet
body needs and must be obtained from the diet or from some
synthetic source. FOr this reason, vitamins are called essential
nutrients because they are essential for life and optimum
well-being.
A
good multivitamin is the foundation of health and nutrition.
Take a look at our scientific reviews of many of the popular
brands for factors such as ingredients, areas of improvement,
quality level, and overall value. If you are looking for
a high quality liquid multivitamin, we suggest that you
take a look at the Multivitamin Product Comparisons.
http://www.vitamins-
nutrition.org/vitamins/
history-vitamins.html
