The fact, that some eatables support human health, had been known long before the vitamins were discovered. The mankind had been grappled with the problem of avitaminosis (lack of vitamins) for thousands of years. For example the first mention of scurvy dates back to the time around 1500 B.C. This syndrome is characterized with lack of energy, inflammation of jaws, falling out of the teeth and other problems with increased bleeding. It was first described already in the year 450 B.C. by Aristotle. Especially sailors met with scurvy on their long expeditions. During this time they found the medicine, which was so called Greenland salad. It suited the purpose, though it was similar neither to the taste nor to the appearance of the sown salad, that we consume nowadays. But still in the 16^th century a relatively high percentage of British and also other sailors died because of scurvy, despite of knowing that the juice from lemons is a medicine and prevention against the scurvy as well.

In 1720 Austrian army physicist J.G.H. Kramer had found out the therapeutic effects of vegetables and lemons, but he didn’t come too far. ... About 30 years later British naval doctor James Lind wrote a book about scurvy, in which he recommends its treatment with fresh vegetables and limes.

In 1860 A. Hirsch expressed the assumption that the lack of specific nutritious factor is the reason of scurvy’s rise

At the end of the 19^th century the scurvy had slowly begun to recede. This was due to raising consummation of fresh vegetables, limes, potatoes and sauerkraut. In 1907 A. Holst and F. Fröhlich started to examine animals´ food to identify the nutritious factor predicted by Hirsch. Their “helpers” were especially guinea’s pigs. The factor was found and on the proposal of J.C. Drummond it was named vitamin C.

Molecule of ascorbic acid ( taken from http://mines.edu/Academic/cemistry/chemlab/)

The word “vitamin” itself was proposed by Polish chemist Kazmir Funk, who deduced it from the words“vital amine”. He discovered, that the substance obtained from not-peeled rice could treat the disease beriberi (caused by lack of vitamin B₁). He found out that this substance belongs among amines (organic nitrogen substances). Even though it was later proved, that many vitamins don’t contain amines at all, the name has remained.

In 1926 Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Györgyi isolated the vitamin C for the first time during his stay in the biochemical laboratory of the Cambridge University. First he won there one gram of white crystalline substance from the beef adrenal rind ( he called it Cx11), later he gained others from potatoes and cabbage juice. In 1928 he renamed this substance to hexuron acid. The first small crystals of vitamin C were started to be produced in 1932. In the following year Szent-Györgyi together with W.N.Haworh renamed the vitamin to its present name ascorbic acid.

In the year 1937 Albert Szent-Györgyi won the Nobel price for his work and discoveries connected with ascorbic acid.

Today we know, that the vitamins are absolutely essential for our life, even though the body needs only a very small amount of them. That’s because they work in the human body neither as energy-donors nor as build components, but as a medium that enables conversion of nutriments to physical mass or energy release from nutriments.

Ascorbic Acid (see the table) plays two great roles in our organism: stabilisation of immunity and psyche. It is the enemy of many diseases. It prevents us from illnesses and on the other hand it attacks viruses and germs in our body actively. We cannot overdose this vitamin. It influences our health in so many positive ways, that we can call it ”Vitamin of Beauty” without any doubts.

(translated by Frantisek Cech)