Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin C.

Although Albert Szent-Györgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1937 for the discovery of vitamin C, it is clear that the work of scientists such as Axel Holst, Theodor Frolich, Sylvester Zilva, Charles Glen King, and Joseph L. Svirbely, led to his success. The search for vitamin C gained momentum after it was determined that scurvy was a disease caused by defective nutrition, as opposed to a germ, and that the ingestion of certain fruits and vegetables offered prevention or cure. Scurvy, which caused bleeding gums and general debility, was common among sailors who had access only to non-perishable foods. The British navy began providing lime juice for long voyages after 1795, hence the name limeys for British sailors.

Early Experiments Provide Basis for Discovery of Vitamin C.

In 1907 bacteriologist Hoist and pediatrician Frolich announced that they could produce scurvy in guinea pigs through...

[The entire page is 1606 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass