How Were Vitamins Created? The History of Nutritional Science

November 21, 2025 •

4 min read

The modern understanding of vitamins began with the observation that certain diseases were caused by dietary deficiencies, not infections. The compelling question, "how were vitamins created," is really a chronicle of scientific pursuit, revealing how researchers isolated, identified, and eventually synthesized these life-sustaining compounds from natural sources and in laboratories.

Quick Summary

This article explores the historical journey of vitamins, from early observations of deficiency diseases like scurvy and beriberi to the pivotal work of pioneers like Casimir Funk. It delves into the scientific advancements that led to the isolation, chemical identification, and eventual synthesis of various vitamins, marking a new era in nutritional science.

Key Points

Discovery from Deficiency: The recognition that diseases like scurvy and beriberi were caused by lacking specific nutrients, not infections, spurred the initial creation of vitamin research.
Casimir Funk's Contribution: Polish biochemist Casimir Funk coined the term 'vitamine' (vital amine) in 1912, hypothesizing that essential nutrients prevented deficiency diseases.
The Term Evolves: The term 'vitamine' was shortened to 'vitamin' in 1920 after researchers discovered not all of these compounds contained amine groups.
Isolation and Identification: The period from 1910 to 1948 saw scientists isolating, chemically identifying, and determining the structure of all known vitamins.
Synthesis Drives Accessibility: The development of methods for synthesizing vitamins in a lab, beginning in the 1930s, dramatically lowered costs and enabled mass production for supplements and food fortification.
Fortification Era: Widespread fortification of staple foods like milk and flour with vitamins has virtually eliminated major deficiency diseases in many developed nations.
Natural vs. Synthetic: While synthetic vitamins are chemically identical to their natural counterparts, they are produced in a lab, while natural vitamins are extracted from food sources.

The Origins of Vitamin Research: Addressing Deficiency Diseases

For centuries, unexplained illnesses plagued populations, especially those with limited or monotonous diets. Scurvy ravaged sailors on long sea voyages, while beriberi was rampant in East Asia among those consuming polished white rice. The prevailing medical theories of the 19th century often attributed these conditions to infections or toxins, overlooking a much simpler cause: a lack of specific, essential nutrients in the food.

The first major breakthrough came from observations in the late 19th century. Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman noted that chickens fed polished rice developed a polyneuritis similar to beriberi in humans, but recovered when fed unpolished rice. This was a crucial piece of evidence pointing toward a protective factor in the rice bran, not a toxin in the polished grain. Building on this work, British biochemist Frederick Gowland Hopkins proposed the existence of "accessory food factors" essential for life.

The Birth of the Term "Vitamine"

In 1912, Polish-born biochemist Casimir Funk was working at the Lister Institute in London and isolated a complex of micronutrients from rice bran. He theorized that these organic compounds were crucial for preventing deficiency diseases like beriberi, scurvy, rickets, and pellagra. Because his analysis indicated the substance contained a nitrogen-containing amine group, he coined the term "vitamine" from "vital amine". While later research revealed that not all of these compounds are amines, the name stuck, and the final 'e' was dropped in 1920 to create the word "vitamin".

The Era of Isolation and Synthesis

Following Funk's groundbreaking hypothesis, the scientific community embarked on a mission to identify and isolate these elusive compounds. This period, spanning from roughly 1910 to the mid-20th century, involved painstaking research using animal models and chemical analysis.

Key milestones in this era include:

1913: Elmer McCollum and Marguerite Davis discovered Vitamin A while observing rat growth.
1920: The anti-scurvy factor was identified as Vitamin C.
1922: Edward Mellanby discovered Vitamin D during his studies on rickets.
1932: Albert Szent-Györgyi's work led to the isolation of ascorbic acid, later confirmed as Vitamin C.
1935: The first mass-produced synthetic vitamin C became available, manufactured by the company Hoffmann-La Roche.
1948: The final vitamin, B12, was discovered.

Chemists played a pivotal role in this process, working to determine the chemical structure of vitamins so they could be replicated. Once the structures were known, methods for chemical synthesis were developed, which drastically lowered production costs and made supplements more widely accessible. For example, the industrial synthesis of vitamin A was achieved in 1948, replacing the need to extract it from natural sources like cod-liver oil.

Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamins

One of the most common questions following the creation of synthetic vitamins is how they compare to those found naturally in food. The chemical structure of a synthetic vitamin is typically identical to its natural counterpart, but the source and manufacturing process differ significantly.


Feature	Naturally-Sourced Vitamins	Synthetic Vitamins
Source	Extracted from plant or animal materials (e.g., Vitamin E from vegetable oil, Vitamin D from cod liver oil).	Chemically synthesized in a laboratory using precursor compounds (e.g., Vitamin D3 from sheep's lanolin, Vitamin C from sugar).
Manufacturing Process	Involves extraction, purification (e.g., filtration, distillation), and refinement from raw, natural ingredients.	Utilizes a series of chemical reactions to build the desired molecular structure.
Bioavailability	Generally considered to have high bioavailability due to co-existing compounds in food, though this can vary.	Highly regulated to ensure consistent bioavailability and potency.
Cost	Often more expensive to produce due to the resource-intensive extraction and purification process.	Much more cost-effective for large-scale production, allowing for fortification of foods and widespread supplementation.
Regulation	Regulated as food ingredients, with quality control measures in place.	Subject to rigorous quality control standards, including purity and potency checks.

The Age of Fortification and Supplementation

As vitamin science advanced, so did the practical application of this knowledge. Governments recognized the public health implications of widespread deficiencies and began mandating the fortification of staple foods. During World War II, the US government established Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and, in 1943, the first one-a-day multivitamin was introduced. The fortification of milk with vitamin D and flour with B vitamins became common practice, virtually eliminating deficiency diseases like rickets and pellagra in many developed nations.

This era also saw the rise of the modern dietary supplement industry. Early products like Mastin's Yeast Vitamon Tablets in 1916 and Parke-Davis's Metagen in 1920 were precursors to today's multi-billion dollar market. The ability to chemically synthesize vitamins inexpensively fueled this market, making supplements affordable and widely available to the public.

Conclusion

The creation of vitamins, while not a single event, represents a monumental journey of scientific inquiry. From early, empirical observations of deficiency diseases to the detailed chemical isolation and synthesis of these life-sustaining compounds, the process revolutionized nutrition. The work of pioneers like Funk laid the groundwork, while chemists and manufacturers made these vital nutrients accessible through supplements and fortified foods. Our understanding continues to evolve, but the core principles established over a century ago—that minute amounts of specific organic substances are essential for human health—remain a cornerstone of modern nutritional science. The creation of vitamins, therefore, is an ongoing narrative of discovery and application that fundamentally changed public health for the better.

Understanding the history of nutrition is crucial for appreciating modern dietary recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The concept of vitamins was first proposed by biochemist Casimir Funk in 1912, though he did not create the vitamins themselves, but rather isolated a complex of micronutrients from rice bran. The first synthetic vitamins were later created by chemists in laboratories, with synthetic vitamin C being the first mass-produced version in 1935.

Vitamins occur naturally in foods from both plant and animal sources. However, many vitamins available in supplements and fortified foods today are also created synthetically in laboratories.

The discovery of vitamins was a gradual process sparked by the observation of deficiency diseases like scurvy and beriberi. Researchers like Christiaan Eijkman and Frederick Gowland Hopkins concluded that these illnesses were caused by missing nutritional factors, not infections, paving the way for systematic research.

Synthetic vitamin supplements first became commercially available in the 1930s, with synthetic vitamin C being the first mass-produced vitamin in 1935. The ability to synthesize vitamins made supplements cheaper and more widely accessible.

While the chemical structure of synthetic vitamins is typically the same as their natural versions, the difference lies in their source and production method. Natural vitamins are extracted from foods, whereas synthetic vitamins are manufactured through chemical processes in a lab.

Food fortification, the process of adding vitamins to foods, was implemented to combat widespread nutrient deficiencies. Adding vitamin D to milk, for example, virtually eliminated rickets in many regions.

The word 'vitamin' originated from the term 'vitamine,' coined by Casimir Funk in 1912. The word combined 'vita' (Latin for life) and 'amine' because Funk believed the vital compounds were all amines. The final 'e' was later dropped when it was discovered not all vitamins were amines.