06/09/2016
Vitamin discoveries only in the last century!!
I am fascinated that it is only in the last century that vitamins and mineral roles have been discovered and found. In 1912, Casimir Funk originally coined the term "vitamine". The major period of discovery began in the early nineteenth century and ended at the mid-twentieth century The discovery of the vitamins. - NCBI
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23798048 Considering we have a lot more medical and science discoveries before this. I.e. 460 BCE Birth of Hippocrates, Greek physician and founder of the first university. Considered the father of medicine. Hippocrates based medicine on objective observation and deductive reasoning, although he did accept the commonly held belief that disease results from an imbalance of the four bodily humors (an idea that persists for centuries) http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0932661.html. Perhaps it is due to our increase in technology in the industrial age. It is quite amazing to think that in my grand parents age when they were growing up and even raising my parents, quite a few important vitamins and mineral functions had not been discovered yet. It wasn’t until the mid 1930’s that the first Vitamin B complex semi- synthetic vitamin c supplements were sold (Wikipedia) not to say I am endorsing synthetic vitamins that is for another blog another time! But to say that there was enough interest in the general public for this to happen shows the growth of concern we have for our vitamin intake.
As I sit here writing this blog in a nice uptown café an older couple sit down next to me and begin to chat—they wanted to know what I was studying and I mentioned Vitamins and minerals – their comment was ‘does it make any difference having vitamins and minerals?’ I explained it was all about gut health and absorption- good prebiotics and probiotics help absorb the vitamins from your diet. However many of us don’t have this good gastrointestinal health. They seemed to have a limited understanding of the role of vitamins in their health. What will the next generation be like? What legacy will our generation leave on the next—we have come a long way in medicine—it is crazy we haven’t come quite as far in nutritional medicine. Now is the time now is the era where nutrition will take a forefront—education is key—especially in our young children—understanding how nutrition helps us not just that they must have calcium. When people really understand how it helps them they will take more ownership over it. So pumped right now. ☺
Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2012 Oct;82(5):310-5. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000124. Historical Article
