More than a hundred years have passed since the moment when vitamins entered the life of almost every inhabitant of the planet. However, few know that only 13 combinations of substances belong to those. The rest are considered only their likeness. Why are synthesized vitamins dangerous for the body? What is the history of the discovery of vitamins and their significance?
What are vitamins?
So what are vitamins? Where does the story of the discovery of vitamins come from? Why are they necessary for a full life support?
Unlike carbohydrates, amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins do not carry energy value for the body, but they contribute to the normalization of metabolism. The way they enter the body is through the ingestion of food, supplements and sunbathing. They are used to neutralize an imbalance or lack of useful trace elements. Their main functions are: assistance to enzymes, complicity in the regulation of metabolism, and the prevention of unstable radicals.
The history of the discovery of vitamins has demonstrated that these substances are different in their chemical composition. But, unfortunately, they are not able to be produced by the body on its own in the right amount.
What is the role of vitamins
Every vitamin is unique in its own way and cannot be replaced. Everything is explained by a specific set of functions that are inherent in only one particular substance. Therefore, if the body feels a lack of some kind of vitamin, obvious consequences arise: vitamin deficiency, metabolic disorder, disease.
Therefore, it is important to eat properly, varied and rich, including at least a minimum of foods enriched with useful trace elements in your diet daily.
For example, vitamins belonging to group B affect the proper functioning of the nervous system, support the functioning of the immune system, and help the body replace and renew cells in a timely manner.
But do not be scared if you notice that your food is not rich enough in vitamins. Most modern people are deficient. To replenish the desired balance, you should not only eat right, but also use complex vitamin preparations.
How people came to vitamins
Imagine, before the end of the 19th century, many people did not even know about such a thing as vitamins. They not only suffered from a lack of nutrients, but also became seriously ill, and often died. How did the discovery of vitamins happen? Briefly try to talk about the work of doctors, about their observations and discoveries in this area.
The most common diseases of the "pre-vitamin" era were:
- “Berry-berry” - an affliction that struck the inhabitants of Southeast, South Asia, where the main source of food was polished, processed rice.
- Scurvy is a disease that has taken the lives of thousands of sailors.
- Rickets, which previously suffered not only children but also adults.
People died as whole families, ships did not return from sailing due to the death of all crew members.
This continued until 1880. Until the moment when N.I. Lunin came to the conclusion that many food products contain in their composition substances vital to humans. Moreover, these substances are indispensable.
Zinga - a disease of the ancient sailors
The history of the discovery of vitamins contains numerous facts indicating millions of losses. The cause of death was scurvy. At that time, this disease was one of the most terrible and deadly. No one could even think that the wrong diet and lack of vitamin C were to blame.
According to approximate estimates of historians, scurvy alone during the geographical discoveries claimed more than a million sailors. A typical example is the expedition to India, which was held under the supervision of Vasco de Gama: of the 160 members of the team, the majority fell ill and died.
J. Cook was the first traveler to return with the same commanding staff as he had departed from the marina. Why weren't his crew members exposed to the fate of many? J. Cook added sour cabbage to their daily diet. He followed the lead of James Lind.
Since 1795, plant-derived foods, lemons, oranges, and other citrus fruits (a source of vitamin C) have become an indispensable component of the “food basket” of sailors.
They came to the truth empirically
Few people know what secret the history of the discovery of vitamins holds in itself. Briefly, one can say this: in an attempt to find a way to salvation, scientists set up experiments on people. One thing is good: they were harmless enough, but far from humane in terms of modern morality.
Experiments on people became famous in 1747 by the Scottish doctor J. Lind.
But he did not come to this of his own free will. He was forced by circumstances: on the ship on which he served, an epidemic of scurvy erupted. Trying to find a way out of this situation, Lind chose two dozen sick sailors, dividing them into several groups. Based on the division, treatment was performed. The first group was served with cider along with the usual food, the second - sea water, the third - vinegar, the fourth - citrus fruits. The last group is the only ones that survived out of all 20 people.
However, human casualties were not in vain. Thanks to the published experimental results (treatise "Treatment of scurvy"), the importance of citrus fruits to neutralize scurvy was proved.
The emergence of the term
The history of the discovery of vitamins briefly talks about the origins of the term "Vitamin".
It is believed that the progenitor is K. Funk, which isolated vitamin B1 in crystalline form. After all, it was he who gave his drug the name vitamine.
Further, the baton of transformations in the field of the concept of “vitamin” was taken by D. Drummond, who suggested that it is impractical to call all trace elements a word containing the letter “e”. Explaining this by the fact that not all of them contain aminic acid.
This is how vitamins acquired the usual name for us “vitamins”. It consists of two Latin words: “vita” and “amines”. The first means "life", the second includes the name of the nitrogenous compounds of the amino group.
The word "vitamin" entered into regular use only in 1912. Literally, it means "the substance necessary for life."
Vitamin Discovery History: Origins
Nikolai Lunin was one of the first to think about the role of substances derived from food. The scientific community of that time accepted the hypothesis of the Russian doctor with hostility, it was not taken seriously.
However, the fact of the need for a certain kind of mineral compounds was first discovered by none other than Lunin. The discovery of vitamins, their indispensability by other substances, he revealed experimentally (at that time vitamins did not yet have their modern name). The subjects were mice. The diet of some consisted of natural milk, and others - of artificial (dairy components: fat, sugar, salts, casein). Animals belonging to the second group fell ill and died suddenly.
Based on this N.I. Lunin concluded that "... in addition to casein, fat, milk sugar and salts, milk also contains other substances indispensable for nutrition."
The topic raised by the biochemist of the University of Tartu interested K.A. Sosina. He conducted experiments and came to the same conclusion with Nikolai Ivanovich.
Subsequently, the theories of Lunin were reflected, confirmed and further developed in the works of foreign and domestic scientific figures.
Disclosure of the causes of the disease "take-take"
Further, the history of the study of vitamins will continue with the work of the Japanese doctor Takaki. In 1884, he spoke out about the “take-take” disease that prevailed over Japanese residents. The origins of the disease were found years later. In 1897, an Irish physician, Christian Eyckman, came to the conclusion that when grinding rice, people deprive themselves of the necessary nutrients that make up the upper layers of unrefined grains.
After a long 40 years (in 1936), thiamine was synthesized, the lack of which became the cause of “take-take”. To what “thiamine” is, scientists also did not come right away. The history of the discovery of group B vitamins began with the isolation of the “amine of life” (otherwise, vitamine or vitamine) from rice grains. It happened in the years 1911-1912. In the period from 1920 to 1934, scientists deduced its chemical formula and called it “aneirin”.
The discovery of vitamins A, H
If we consider a topic such as the history of the discovery of vitamins, you may notice that the study was slow, but continuous.
For example, vitamin deficiency A began to be studied in detail only from the 19th century. Stepp (Stepp) identified a growth motivator, which is part of the fat. It happened in 1909. And already in 1913, McColler and Denis identified Factor A, and years later (1916) it was renamed Vitamin A.
The beginning of the study of vitamin H was laid back in 1901, when Wilders discovered a substance that promotes the growth of yeast. He suggested giving it the name "bios". In 1927, ovidin was isolated, called "factor X", or "vitamin H". This vitamin inhibits the action of the substance contained in some foods. In 1935, biotin was crystallized from egg yolk by Kegl.
Vitamins C, E
After Linda’s experiments on sailors, for a century, no one wondered why a person was ill with scurvy. The history of the appearance of vitamins, or rather the history of the study of their role, received further development only at the end of the 19th century. V.V. Pashutin found out that the disease of sailors arose due to the lack of a certain substance in food. In 1912, thanks to food experiments conducted on guinea pigs, Holst and Fröhlich learned that the appearance of scurvy was prevented by a substance that after 7 years became known as vitamin C. 1928 was marked by the withdrawal of its chemical formula, and as a result ascorbic acid was synthesized.
The role and significance of vitamin E began to be studied later than all. Although it is he who plays a decisive role in reproductive processes. The study of this fact began only in 1922. It was experimentally revealed that if fat was excluded from the diet of experimental rats, the fetus died in the womb. This discovery was made by Evans. The first known preparations belonging to the group of vitamins E were extracted from oil of grain sprouts. The drug was called alpha and beta tocopherol, this event occurred in 1936. Two years later, Carrer carried out its biosynthesis.
Discovery of B vitamins
In 1913, the beginning of the study of riboflavin and nicotinic acid was begun. This year was marked by the discovery of Osborne and Mendel, who proved that milk contains a substance that promotes the growth of animals. In 1938, the formula of this substance was revealed, on the basis of which its synthesis was made. This was how lactoflavin was discovered and synthesized, now riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2.
Niacin was isolated by Funk from rice grains. However, his study stopped there. Only in 1926 was discovered the antipellagric factor, which later became known as nicotinic acid (vitamin B3).
Vitamin B9 was isolated as a fraction from spinach leaves in the 30s by Mitchell and Snell. The Second World War slowed down the discovery of vitamins. Briefly further study of vitamin B9 (folic acid) can be described as rapidly developing. Immediately after the war (in 1945), it was synthesized. This happened through the isolation of yeast and liver pteroylglutamic acid.
In 1933, the chemical composition of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) was deciphered . And in 1935, Goldberg's findings on the causes of pellagra in rats were refuted. It turns out that the disease arose due to the lack of pyrodoxin, or vitamin B6.
The last isolated vitamin from group B is cobalamin, or B12. The extraction of the antianemic factor from the liver occurred only in 1948.
Trial and error method: discovery of vitamin D
The discovery of vitamin D is marked by the destruction of preexisting scientific discoveries. Elmer McCollum tried to clarify his own writings about vitamin A. Trying to refute the conclusions made by veterinarian Edward Mellanby, he conducted an experiment on dogs. He gave fish oil to patients with rickets , from which vitamin A was removed. His absence did not affect the recovery of the pets - they were still cured.
Vitamin D can be obtained not only from food, but also thanks to the sun. This was proved by A.F. Hess in 1923.
In the same year, the foundation was laid for the artificial enrichment of fatty products with calciferol. Ultraviolet irradiation is practiced in the United States to this day.
The importance of Casimir Funk in the study of vitamins
Following the disclosure of factors that prevent the onset of beriberi, studies of vitamins followed. Not the last role in this was played by Casimir Funk. The history of the study of vitamins says that he created a drug consisting of a mixture of water-soluble substances, different in chemical nature, but similar in the presence of nitrogen in them.
Thanks to Funk, the world saw such a scientific term as vitamin deficiency. He not only brought it out, but also revealed ways to overcome it and prevent it. He came to the conclusion that vitamins are part of some enzymes, which contributes to their easier absorption. Funk was among the first to develop a system of proper, balanced nutrition, indicating the daily norm of necessary vitamins.
Casimir Funk has created some chemical analogues of vitamins contained in natural products. However, now the fascination of people with these analogues is scary. Over the past half century, the number of oncological, allergic, cardiovascular and other diseases has increased. Some scientists see the use of synthesized vitamins as the reason for the rapid spread of these diseases.