The History of Vitamins

Introduction

As you know, vitamins are nutrients your body requires in small quantities. They aid you in staying healthy and helping your body function optimally.

But did you ever deliberate on their history? How was the first vitamin discovered and named?

Keep reading as we explore nutrition’s early understanding and discovery of vitamins. You’ll learn how vitamins impact public health.

Lastly, we will shed light on the present understanding of vitamins and their future.

Early Understanding of Nutrition

The history of healthy food started from ancient times. It was when people started realizing the connection between health and food.

In the 3rd century BC, Huang Di Nei Jing provided the world’s first dietary guidelines. It was the first Chinese medical book. It listed specific vegetables, grains, fruits and animals for optimum health.

Yet different ancient civilizations and cultures followed different beliefs about food and health.

For example, in ancient India, people mostly ate a vegetarian diet. They also concentrated on grains, dairy products, and vegetables. The meat was limited and kept for special occasions. Herbs and spices were commonly added to give dishes more flavor and nutritional value.

Conversely, ancient Roman civilization focused on fresh, simple, and preserved whole foods.

Likewise, the initial recognition of the significance of specific foods for health dates back to the 2nd millennium B.C. It was Ebers Papyrus, a medicinal text from primitive Egypt. It described various foods to treat illnesses. For example, it suggested that the liver could cure night blindness.

Let us also look at Hippocrates of Cos (a Greek physician). He belonged to ancient Greek civilization in the 5th century B.C. He wrote about the relationship between health and food.

The Discovery of Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds that are indispensable for the body in small amounts. They are crucial micronutrients that help the body function normally. You get them from animal and plant food products and dietary supplements.

You may enquire as to when were vitamins discovered. Their discovery was a breakthrough that enhanced our knowledge about health and disease. Each of them was found through the work of scientists from different fields. These included physiologists, physicians, epidemiologists, and chemists.

Christiaan Eijkman was vital in discovering vitamin B1 (thiamine) in 1897. His studies revealed that beriberi is caused by a lack of something vital. It wasn’t due to the presence of something infectious.

In 1906, a biochemist named Frederick Gowland Hopkins proposed “accessory factors.” He stipulated that these substances were present in food and essential for life.

Later on, Polish biochemist Casimir Funk isolated an accessory factor from brown rice. He defined it as an anti-beriberi factor and called it “vitamine” in 1912.

By this, he meant an amine that was vital for life. His finding, though correct, was afterwards found that not all vitamins were amines. Thus, the suffix “e” was dropped from “vitamine” and called vitamin. The substance he discovered was later known as niacin (vitamin B3). He although thought that it was thiamine (vitamin B1).

Thiamine was first discovered by Japanese chemist Umetaro Suzuki in 1910.

Major Milestones in Vitamin Research

All through the 20th century, different scientists isolated and identified them. Here are some major milestones in vitamin research:

Vitamin A

Around 1912-1914, Elmer V. McCollum and Marguerite Davis discovered vitamin A. In 1913, Osborne and Lafayette Mendel revealed that butter comprised a fat-soluble nutrient. In 1920, it became to be called vitamin A.

Vitamin B

Elmer Verner McCollum discovered the first vitamin B around 1915-1916. D. T. Smith and E. G. Hendrick found vitamin B2 in 1926.

Moreover, Conrad Elvehjem discovered the chemical structure of niacin (vitamin B3) in 1937. Meanwhile, Lucy Wills discovered folic acid (vitamin B9) in 1931. At the same time, in 1934, Paul Gyorgy revealed vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).

Afterward, in 1947, American biochemist Karl August Folkers figured out vitamin B12 (cobalamin).

Vitamin C

Biochemists Alex Holst and Alfred Fröhlich showed that guinea pigs can develop a scurvy-like condition. It was as if they didn’t eat specific foods. This study was carried out in 1907. You see that lack of vitamin C causes scurvy. Albert Szent-Györgyi, a Hungarian biochemist, unearthed vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the 1930s.

Vitamin D

Edward Mellanby discovered vitamin D while investigating rickets (a vitamin D deficiency disease) in 1922.

Vitamin E

Katherine Bishop and Herbert Evans revealed vitamin E in leafy green vegetables. This discovery was in 1922.

Vitamin K

Danish scientist Henrik Dam found vitamin K during experiments on chickens and sterol metabolism.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the development of vitamin-rich supplements and foods begin. For example, in 1938, Kellogg’s came out with a breakfast cereal called Pep. It was complemented with vitamin D and B1.

In the 1950s, vitamin supplements started mass production and marketing.

The Impact of Vitamins on Public Health

You may know that these nutrients are essential for public health. It’s because they play a significant role in the functions of our bodies.

Yet, humans can’t synthesize most of them. They need to be consumed in the diet. The goal is to maintain good health and avoid issues, especially deficiency diseases.

Deficiency diseases occur owing to a shortage of essential nutrients like vitamins in the diet. Different vitamins can aid in avoiding varying diseases.

Let’s glance at some of the deficiency diseases:

• Scurvy is caused in the wake of vitamin C deficiency
• Beriberi is caused due to vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency
• Vitamin D lacking causes rickets and occurs in children and infants
• Pellagra is caused by vitamin B3 (niacin) deficiency

You may be taking an adequate amount of these nutrients through diets or supplements. Thus, you can prevent all these deficiency diseases from occurring in your body.

Another way to combat these deficiency diseases is food fortification. It means the process of adding nutrients like vitamins and minerals to food. The goal is to enrich its nutritional value and address public health concerns.

This process has been used for nearly a hundred years to fight diseases. Take, for example, iodized salt. It’s table salt mixed with small amounts of sodium or potassium iodide. It helps prevent goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) caused by iodine deficiency.

Similarly, fortified milk means cow’s milk with additional nutrients. These are not found naturally in substantial amounts in milk. It can help fill nutrient deficiencies among children and adults. It can also raise bone density and strength.

Moreover, these nutrients significantly influence global nutrition and health policies. Many of these policies address solving their deficiencies through supplementation and food fortification.

For instance, consider the global non-profit agency Nutrition International. It has been delivering vitamin A supplements to children for around 30 years in developing countries. It has also helped many governments to combine vitamin A programs into prevalent health systems.

Likewise, addressing and eliminating malnutrition remains a major global challenge.

Modern Understanding and Current Research

The field of vitamin research and technology is continuing to evolve. It has recently undergone lots of developments and advancements.

Let’s take an example. New research on vitamin A has deciphered its effects on stem cell repair mechanisms. Furthermore, the use of adaptogens like Ashwagandha is on the rise. These are mushrooms and plants that aid your body fight stress and promote well-being.

Likewise, personalized nutrition is on the rise. Briefly, it’s the making of an eating plan that includes dietary recommendations. It’s designed particularly for your body and lifestyle.

On the other hand, genetic studies concerning different vitamins are also ongoing. For instance, there are ongoing developments in genomic techniques. They have increased information about genetics pertaining to vitamin B12 metabolism.

These nutrients are also known to aid in preventing and treating chronic diseases. An adequate consumption of vitamin B12 and folic acid can prevent conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

Conversely, vitamin supplements are also subjected to controversies and misconceptions. That has led to concerns about their interactions, safety, and efficacy.

High doses of vitamins B6, A, and D can be harmful. They can lead to their buildup, which can be toxic to the body.

Furthermore, vitamin supplements can cause bad interactions with prescribed medicines and lead to problems.

Lastly, the debate on natural versus synthetic vitamins is on the rise. Natural vitamins are derived from whole foods like vegetables and fruits. These are usually regarded as superior to synthetic vitamins. Conversely, synthetic vitamins are easier to produce than natural vitamins. Synthetic vitamins can also be more cost-effective and potent.

Conclusion

By now, you must have gained ample insights into the history of vitamins.

To sum up, vitamins were a find of the 20th century. Before that, people from different cultures and civilizations realized an important thing. Some foods were very significant in maintaining health and preventing diseases.

We also discussed the present scenario and the future of vitamins.

You learned about trends like personalized nutrition and innovations in vitamin delivery systems. All this makes the future of these nutrients very bright. It’s despite the prevailing controversies and misconceptions about vitamin supplements.