Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters: History, Science, and Controversies (The Praeger Series on Contemporary Health and Living)

This book is a new work on the history of vitamins and the brilliant men and women who discovered the existence and nature of these small molecules so vital to our health. In 1747, Dr. James Lind discovered that adding citrus fruit to the diet of British sailors helped prevent scurvy. It wasn't until the 20th century that researchers identified the crucial disease-fighter as vitamin C and generally accepted that vitamin deficiencies were the root cause of a number of major diseases. Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters: History, Science, and Controversies describes the emergence of nutritional science and its contributions to our understanding of how the body functions. It is an absorbing look at the men and women, many little known in their lifetimes, whose medical detective work helped us conquer a number of devastating health conditions, including some forms of mental illness. Each chapter of Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters focuses on a specific vitamin, describing the researchers, the research, and the historic and scientific contexts for its discovery. Together, these chapters chart the ongoing conflict between physicians who saw illness as caused by organisms and those who saw illness as a result of dietary deficiency. A concluding chapter shows how our stronger grasp of the effects of vitamin deficiencies on large populations can be used to the utmost benefit of society. - Publisher. Contents......Page 6 Series Foreword......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 1. Rats That Don’t Grow and Have Sore Eyes: Vitamin A (Retinol), the Anti-Night Blindness Vitamin......Page 16 2. Soldiers in Pain and Staggering Chickens: Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), the Anti-Beriberi Vitamin......Page 30 3. Dermatitis, Diarrhea, Dementia, and Death: Vitamin B3 (Niacin), the Anti-Pellagra Vitamin......Page 48 4. Deadly Anemia, Sludge, and the Nobel Prize for a Woman: Vitamins B9 (Folate) and B12 (Cobalamin), the Two Anti-Anemia Vitamins......Page 71 5. Sailors, Scurvy, the Guinea Pig, and the Nobel Prize: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), the Anti-Scurvy Vitamin......Page 86 6. Soft Bones, Lack of Light, and the ‘‘Sunshine Hormone’’: Vitamin D (Calcitriol), the Anti-Rickets Vitamin......Page 111 7. Can You Have Too Much of a Good Thing? Toxicity from Vitamins......Page 125 8. Conclusion: Victories, but Lingering Concerns......Page 129 Appendix A Vitamin A and the Eye......Page 132 Appendix B Calcium, Bones, and Collagen......Page 134 Appendix C Anemia......Page 136 Appendix D How Much of Each Vitamin Should I Take?......Page 138 Notes......Page 140 Glossary......Page 144 Bibliography......Page 148 Index......Page 152

Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters: History, Science, and Controversies describes the emergence of nutritional science and its contributions to our understanding of how the body functions. It is an absorbing look at the men and women, many little known in their lifetimes, whose medical detective work helped us conquer a number of devastating health conditions, including some forms of mental illness.

Each chapter of Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters focuses on a specific vitamin, describing the researchers, the research, and the historic and scientific contexts for its discovery. Together, these chapters chart the ongoing conflict between physicians who saw illness as caused by organisms and those who saw illness as a result of dietary deficiency. A concluding chapter shows how our stronger grasp of the effects of vitamin deficiencies on large populations can be used to the utmost benefit of society.

"Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters: History, Science, and Controversies describes the emergence of nutritional science and its contributions to our understanding of how the body functions. It is an absorbing look at the men and women, many little known in their lifetimes, whose medical detective work helped us conquer a number of devastating health conditions, including some forms of mental illness. Each chapter focuses on a specific vitamin, describing the researchers, the research, and the historic and scientific contexts for its discovery. Together, these chapters chart the ongoing conflict between physicians who saw illness as caused by organisms and those who saw illness as a result of dietary deficiency. A concluding chapter shows how our stronger grasp of the effects of vitamin deficiencies on large populations can be used to the utmost benefit of society."--Publisher's description Rats that don't grow and have sore eyes : vitamin A, the anti-night-blindness vitamin, retinol Soldiers in pain and staggering chickens : vitamin B1, the anti-beriberi vitamin, thiamine Dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, death : vitamin B3, the anti-pellagra vitamin, niacin Deadly anemia, sludge, and the Nobel prize for a woman : vitamins B9 and B12, the two anti-anemia vitamins, folate and cobalamin Sailors, scurvy, the guinea pig, and the Nobel prize : vitamin C, the anti-scurvy vitamin, ascorbic acid Soft bones, lack of light, and the "sunshine hormone" : vitamin D, the anti-rickets vitamin, calcitriol Can you have too much of a good thing? : toxicity from vitamins.