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Vitamins: Foods
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Deficiencies of vitamins are classified as either primary or secondary. A primary deficiency occurs when an organism does not get enough of the vitamin in its food. A secondary deficiency may be due to an underlying disorder that prevents or limits the absorption or use of the vitamin, due to a “lifestyle factor”, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, or the use of medications that interfere with the absorption or use of the vitamin.[20] People who eat a varied diet are unlikely to develop a severe primary vitamin deficiency. In contrast, restrictive diets have the potential to cause prolonged vitamin deficits, which may result in often painful and potentially deadly diseases.
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Because vitamins and minerals are not evenly distributed among foods, people need to eat a well-balanced diet. However, few people eat a varied, plant-rich diet. And, modern farming techniques drain the soil of nutrients, making fruits and vegetables less nutritious.
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In 1912 the Polish American scientist Casimir Funk had the idea of the name of vitamins for the things present in food in small amounts which are essential to health. He named the unknown thing which prevented scurvy, Vitamin C.
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Unlike food, water, and--for aerobic organisms--air, an organism can survive quite some time without vitamins, although prolonged vitamin deficit results in a disease state. Organic vitamins are contrasted with other trace nutritional requirements that are inorganic in nature, referred to as minerals.
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The value of eating certain foods to maintain health was recognized long before vitamins were identified. The ancient Egyptians knew that feeding a patient liver would help cure night blindness, an illness now known to be caused by a vitamin A deficiency. The advancement of ocean voyage during the Renaissance resulted in prolonged periods without access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and made illnesses from vitamin deficiency common among ship's crew.
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In the U.S., since 1940, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council has published recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Expressed in milligrams or international units (IU) for adults and children of normal health, these recommendations are useful guidelines not only for professionals in nutrition but ... for the growing number of families and individuals who eat irregular meals and rely on prepared foods, most of which are now required to carry nutritional labeling.
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