The Birth of Vitamins

As vitamins become more and more common as a part of our daily routine, I was curious as to the history of vitamins. How and when did they come up with the concept of vitamins?

Over 100 years ago (1905), Dr. William Fletcher hypothesized that if he removed special factors from foods that disease occurred. Dr. Fletcher was researching the disease, Beriberi when he discovered that eating unpolished rice prevented Beriberi and eating polished rice did not. He believed that there were special nutrients contained in the husk of the rice.

Over the next few years, other scientists, such as Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, found that other food factors were important to health as well. In 1912, Polish scientists Cashmir Funk named these special parts "vitamine" - "vita" meaning life and "amine" from compounds found in the thiamine he isolated from rice husks. Vitamine was later shortened to vitamin.

Together, they hypothesized that the "lack of vitamins could make you sick."

Over the years Vitamin A, B, Niacin, etc were discovered and slowly scientists found ways to synthesize these vitamins to make what you can buy today in capsules and tablets to supplement your diet.

The history of this is interesting to note as more research is done every day to determine what vitamin(s) can help prevent present diseases of today and keep us healthy!