vitamin

American  

[vahy-tuh-min, vit-uh-min] / ˈvaɪ tə mɪn, ˈvɪt ə mɪn /

British also vitamine

noun

1. any of a group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism, found in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs or sometimes produced synthetically: deficiencies of vitamins produce specific disorders.

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vitamin British  

/ ˈvɪtəmɪn, ˈvaɪ- /

noun

1. any of a group of substances that are essential, in small quantities, for the normal functioning of metabolism in the body. They cannot usually be synthesized in the body but they occur naturally in certain foods: insufficient supply of any particular vitamin results in a deficiency disease

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vitamin Scientific  

/ vī′tə-mĭn /

1. Any of various organic compounds that are needed in small amounts for normal growth and activity of the body. Most vitamins cannot be synthesized by the body, but are found naturally in foods obtained from plants and animals. Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. Most water-soluble vitamins, such as the vitamin B complex, act as catalysts and coenzymes in metabolic processes and energy transfer and are excreted fairly rapidly. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, and E are necessary for the function or structural integrity of specific body tissues and membranes and are retained in the body.

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Closer Look

Although it has been known for thousands of years that certain diseases can be treated with specific foods, the scientific link between vitamins and good health wasn't made until the early 1900s by Polish-born American biochemist Casimir Funk. While studying beriberi, a disease that causes depression, fatigue, and nerve damage, Funk discovered an organic compound in rice husks that prevents the illness. He named the compound vitamine, derived from the chemical name amine and the Latin word vita, "life," because vitamins are required for life and were originally thought to be amines. Funk's compound is now known as vitamin B₁, or thiamine. His research and discovery led him, along with English biochemist Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, to propose the vitamin hypothesis of deficiency, which stated that certain diseases, such as scurvy or rickets, are caused by dietary deficiencies and can be avoided by taking vitamins. Further research allowed scientists to isolate and identify the vitamins that we know today to be essential for human health. Vitamins include A, C, D, E, K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B₆, B₁₂, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Vitamins are distinguished from minerals, such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, which are also essential for optimum health.

Other Word Forms

• vitaminic adjective

Etymology

Origin of vitamin

1912; earlier vitamine < Latin vīt ( a ) life + amine; coined by C. Funk, who thought they were amines

Example Sentences

She and her friends would tell themselves they were using the beds, she says, to get "a few minutes of vitamin D".

From BBC

Antioxidant activity was measured using Trolox, a water-soluble analog of vitamin E that serves as a reference standard.

From Science Daily

They found that the variety and quantity of fruits and vegetables provided essential vitamins and minerals that would have been missing if participants had relied only on higher calorie whole foods.

From Science Daily

Stepping inside, Jeremy found his father shoving vitamins into a ferret.

From Literature

I looked at the different medications—paracetamol, vitamins, and two others with long names that I didn’t know.

From Literature

Related Words

• fiber
• food
• mineral