1. THE STORY OF VITAMINS
STUDENTS FROM 6th GRADE
FROM “LUCIAN GRIGORESCU” SCHOOL
MEDGIDIA - ROMANIA
PRESENT
2. The word "vitamin" dates back to Polish scientist
Casimir Funk in nineteen-twelve. He was studying
a substance in the hull that covers rice. This
substance was believed to cure the nervous
system disorder beriberi.
Funk believed the substance belonged to a group
of chemicals known as amines. He added the Latin
"vita" meaning life. So he called the substance a
"vitamine" - an amine necessary for life.
3. Funk was not able to separate the anti-berberi
substance from the rice hulls; it turned out to be
thiamine. And later research showed that not all
vitamines were amines after all. So the name was
shortened to vitamin.
But Funk was correct in recognizing the importance.
4. Scientists have discovered fourteen kinds of vitamins.
They are known as vitamins A, the B group, C, D, E
and K. Scientists say vitamins act like enzymes.
They help carry out chemical changes within cells.
If we do not get enough of the vitamins we need in our
food, we are likely to develop a number of diseases.
This brings us back to Polish scientist Casimir Funk and
his studies of rice. His experiments were part of
a long search for foods that could cure disease.
5. One of the first people involved in that
search was James Lind of Scotland.
In the seventeen-forties, Lind was a doctor
for the British Navy. He was trying to solve
a problem the Navy had been suffering for
hundreds of years. The problem was the
disease scurvy.
So many British sailors had scurvy that the
Navy's fighting strength was very low.
6. The sailors were weak from continuous bleeding inside
their bodies. Their teeth fell out.
Even the smallest wound would not heal.
Doctor Lind thought the sailors were getting sick
because they were unable to eat some kinds of foods
when they were at sea for many months.
He divided twelve sailors suffering from scurvy into two
groups. He gave each group different foods to eat.
One group got oranges and lemons. The other did not.
The men who ate the fruit began to improve within
seven days. The other men got weaker and weaker.
Doctor Lind was correct.
Eating citrus fruits prevents scurvy.
7. Other doctors searched for foods that would
cure rickets and pellagra. They did not yet
understand that they were seeing the problem
backwards. That is, it is better to eat vitamin-
rich foods to prevent disease instead of eating
them to cure disease after it has developed.
Just how do vitamins keep us healthy?
Which foods are the best source for different ones?
Let us look at some important vitamins
for these answers.
8. VITAMIN A
is needed to produce a light-sensitive substance in
the eyes. And it helps prevent skin and other
tissues from drying out. People who do not get
enough vitamin A cannot see well in the dark.
They also may develop a condition that dries the
eyes, called xerophthalmia.
It can result in infections and lead to blindness.
The best source of vitamin A is fish liver oil.
It also is found in the yellow part of eggs.
In addition, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and
other darkly colored fruits and vegetables contain
substances that the body can change
into vitamin A.
9.
10. VITAMIN B
is also called thiamine. It changes starchy foods into energy.
It also helps the heart and nervous system work smoothly.
Without it, we would be weak and would not grow.
We also might develop beriberi.
Thiamine is found not just in whole grains like brown rice, but
also in other foods. These include beans and peas, nuts, and
meat and fish.
Another B-vitamin is niacin. It helps cells use food energy.
It also prevents pellagra, a disease that causes weakness, red
skin and stomach problems. Good sources of niacin are meat,
fish and green vegetables.
Vitamin B-twelve is needed so folic acid can do its work.
Together, they help produce red blood cells. Without them,
a person suffers from anemia.
Vitamin B-twelve is found naturally in foods such as eggs,
meat, fish and milk products. Folic acid has been shown to
prevent birth defects when taken by women of child-bearing
age. It is found in green leafy vegetables and other foods
including legumes and citrus fruits. It is also added to enriched
breads and other products.
11.
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15.
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17.
18. VITAMIN C
is necessary for strong bones and teeth,
and for healthy blood vessels.
It also helps wounds heal quickly.
The body stores very little vitamin C.
So we must get it every day in foods such
as citrus fruits, tomatoes and uncooked
cabbage.
19.
20. VITAMIN D
increases the amount of calcium in the blood.
Calcium is needed for nerve and muscle cells to work
normally. It also is needed to build strong bones.
Vitamin D prevents a children's bone disease called
rickets. Ultraviolet rays from the sun change a form
of cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D.
Another source is fish liver oil. In some countries,
milk producers add vitamin D to milk, especially so
children will get enough.
21.
22.
23. VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It may help protect
your cells from damage. This essential nutrient
occurs naturally in many foods. It’s also available
as a dietary supplement.
Sometimes, it’s in processed foods. Vitamin E is
fat-soluble. This means your body stores and uses
it as needed.
The term “vitamin E” describes eight different
compounds. Alpha-tocopherol is the most active
one in humans.
24.
25.
26. Vitamin K
is needed for healthy blood. It thickens the
blood around a cut to stop bleeding. Bacteria
in the intestines normally produce vitamin K.
It can also be found in pork and liver and in
vegetables like cabbage, kale and spinach.
27.
28. So, how do we know how much of each
vitamin we need every day?
29. Public health agencies publish lists of suggested amounts.
But some people take pills each day that contain larger
amounts of vitamins. They think the extra vitamins will
improve their health and protect against disease.
Some doctors agree. But many do not. For one thing, they
point out that too much of some vitamins can be harmful to
healthy people.
For example, too much vitamin A can lead to the bone
weakening condition osteoporosis.
Too much vitamin B-six can damage the nervous system,
causing a loss of feeling in the arms and legs.
Too much vitamin E can increase the chances of developing
a heart attack or stroke.
30. VITAMINS ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR HEALTH.
But different vitamins are found in different foods -
grains, vegetables and fruits, fish and meat, eggs
and milk products. And even foods that contain the
same vitamins may have them in different amounts.
Nutrition experts say this is why it is important,
where possible, to eat a mixture of foods every day,
to try to get enough of the vitamins our bodies need.
