Discovery of Vitamins
Casimir Funk, biochemist of Polish origin transplanted to America, is considered the father of vitamins. To him we owe the invention of this term, born in 1912 after the discovery of a substance able to cure beriberi, a serious disease caused by a diet centered almost exclusively on polished rice. Funk discovered that this substance, belonging to the amine group and now known as thiamine or vitamin B1, could quickly cure the sick. To represent its two fundamental characteristics (chemical origin and health properties), Funk coined the term "amine of life" or, more briefly, vitamin. Later, due to its ability to cure beriberi, this substance took the name of vitamin B.
| Year of discovery | Vitamin | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1909 | Vitamin A (Retinol) | Cod liver oil |
| 1912 | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | Rice bran |
| 1912 | Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) | lemons |
| 1918 | Vitamin D (Calciferol) | Cod liver oil |
| 1920 | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | eggs |
| 1922 | vitamin E (Tocopherol) | Wheat germ oil, cosmetics, liver |
| 1926 | Vitamin B12 (Cyanocoballamin) | Liver |
| 1929 | Vitamin K (Phylloquinone) | Alfalfa |
| 1931 | Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) | Liver |
| 1931 | Vitamin B7 (Biotin) | Liver |
| 1934 | Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) | Rice bran |
| 1936 | Vitamin PP (Niacin) | Liver |
| 1941 | Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) | Liver |
The present of vitamins among supplements and "magic pills"
Since that time, numerous other substances classifiable as vitamins have been identified. In addition to the classic 13, subdivided into liposoluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12, C), multiple compounds have been listed which, similar to vitamins, they are essential for humans even if they act in very small quantities. Some examples include vitamin F, an acronym for the much-discussed Omega 3 (from the English Fatty Acids, Fatty Acids ) and vitamin Q, whose name derives from a well-known antioxidant made famous by advertising (Ubichinone or Coenzyme Q-10).
Since their discovery, interest in vitamins has always been high, although their popularity has followed a fluctuating trend. In particular, some scholars, more or less readily refuted by others, have been claiming for almost 40 years the importance that an optimal vitamin intake, difficult to satisfy with diet alone, would exert on human health. Parallel to these studies, starting from the 1970s the intake of vitamin complexes in the form of various pills and supplements was increasingly encouraged. Subsequently, the enthusiasm for vitamin supplementation was dampened by the lack of studies that unequivocally confirmed the health efficacy and the absence of long-term side effects.
While the "vitamin craze" was breaking out in the United States, our country was only partially lapped by this "pursuit of the magic pill". Even today, many doctors, after supporting the importance of the Mediterranean diet, show prudence in recommending these supplements to healthy people.
While in Italy there is a general tendency to still refer to the old minimum doses (RDA), necessary to prevent diseases deriving from vitamin deficiencies in the diet, in other countries, see the United States, these values are considered outdated, especially for those vitamins that have shown greater health / preventive properties (vitamin E, C and some of the group B). In some cases it is possible to recommend doses 5 to 100 times higher. For example, although the RDA of vitamin C is only 60 mg a day, on average it is advisable to reach doses of around 400-1000 milligrams, to propose, in line with the studies of some authors, megadoses of 5-10 grams .
Despite studies and conflicting opinions, in recent years the business linked to synthetic vitamins has been fueled by the widespread tendency to reduce the intake of fruit and vegetables in favor of high calorie, low satiating and micronutrient-poor foods.
Anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-stress and so on and so forth ... the myth of vitamins is now more than ever rooted in our culture. They are added almost everywhere, in biscuits, in cosmetics, in pasta and in the colorful world of food supplements. The purpose, scientifically proven and only partially denied, is to receive greater protection against diseases and aging, by strengthening the natural defense mechanisms and improving overall physical efficiency.
Foods rich in vitamins or supplements?
To be honest, for the avoidance of doubt, it seems that extracting one's food ration from a pill is not the same as drawing the same nutrients from fresh food consumption. A bit like what happens in the herbalist field, where the phytocomplex (a heterogeneous set of substances contained in the drug), although less effective in treating the acute phase of a disease, has less contraindications than the medicines containing in concentrated form the active principle extracted from the same plant, even the vitamins contained in foods, in addition to enjoying greater bioavailability, cause less problems than high-dose vitamin supplements.
So it seems a little too optimistic to hope to make up for the lack of unregulated food with a simple pill that provides health and vitality in return . It is better to concentrate, first of all, on the consumption of a great variety of very fresh foods, considering vitamin integration as a valid ally in all those cases of increased need or poor dietary intake. In the latter case, before resorting to a magic pill that has very little, it is essential to make every reasonable effort to improve one's eating habits.
In conclusion, we can compare vitamin supplements to those confetti useful for maintaining a minimum of oral hygiene when it is not possible to use the traditional toothbrush. Although these products have a certain effectiveness and a high degree of practicality, this does not authorize us to consider them, with too much sufficiency, substitutes for the old and more popular foods and toothbrushes.
Although synthetic vitamins in many cases represent a valuable ally in the fight against aging and physical tiredness, the battle is won first of all at the table, with healthy, varied and genuine foods, which represent the real winning weapon against the pitfalls of a style of life often stingy with regard to physical and mental health.
