The Discovery and History of Vitamins

Vitamins are divided into water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins and are necessary for normal health and growth. They are different in structure and their role for the body and they are distinctly different from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. There is a difference in how much we need of the various vitamins and minerals for the health of our body. If we have a vitamin that is deficient a disease may develop. William Fletcher, an English person who made the connection between polished and unpolished rice and the disease Beriberi first reported this in 1905. He noted the husk must have certain nutrients and he was right. We know the nutrients are now called vitamins.

In 1906, another Englishman Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins discovered that certain foods were important to health. These were named “vitamine” in 1911 by a Polish scientist who made the connection between compounds that contained amine, a nitrogen-containing unit. The final e was dropped when scientist found that not every vitamin contained these ingredients.

Elmer V. McCollum and M. Davis discovered vitamin A between 1912 and 1914. Researchers from Yale, Thomas Osborne and Lafayette Mendel discovered vitamin A, a fat-soluble nutrient in butter. Vitamin A was synthesized in 1947.

Elmer McCollum discovered the B family of vitamins in 1915-1916. Cashmir Funk discovered Vitamin B1 in 1912. D. T. Smith and E. G. Hendrick discovered B2 in 1926.

Lucy Wills soon discovered other vitamins such as folic acid in 1933, Conrad Elvehjem discovered niacin in 1937, and Paul Gyorgy discovered vitamin B6 in 1934.

A Scottish naval surgeon, James Lindin found that certain citrus foods prevented scurvy. We now know the nutrient as vitamin C. This vitamin was first artificially synthesized in 1935. Edward Mellanby was researching the disease of rickets when he discovered vitamin D. The E vitamin was discovered in green leafy vegetables by researchers from the University of California. Herbert Evans and Katherine Bishop discovered the vitamin in 1922.

Human and animal bodies cannot synthesize most vitamins. If they do, it isn’t in enough to meet what the body needs. Vitamins must be gotten from the diet or from another source. Vitamins are called essential nutrients because our bodies need them for best health. These vitamins are essential for general good health and for preventing diseases specific to that vitamin. They help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

Taking a good multivitamin is an essential part of our good health. Many reviews can be found for the different brands and manufacturers of multivitamins. Do your research, and be sure the vitamin you choose has the entire nutrient supplements your body needs. Watch for quality level, ingredients, and overall value. If you find ingredients are nearly the same, they have the same nutritional value, and there is a difference in cost, you may choose the brand that is the least expensive. There is very little difference in synthesized vitamins. Synthesized vitamins may also be a higher quality than natural vitamins because of regulations for manufacturers.