In 1747, the British physician, J. Lind, found that two oranges and one lemon a day could relieve the symptoms of scurvy.
Even though Lind had proven the scurvy was due to the missing nutrient, the exact nature of this vital nutrient continued to puzzle scientists for the next two centuries.
Vitamin C was first isolated in 1928, and in 1932 it was proved to be the agent which prevents scurvy. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi identified ‘scorbutic principle’ in 1928 and isolated hexuronic acid as the factor that preventing browning of decaying fruit. He was awarded the Nobel prize for this feat.
The name was changed to vitamin C following structural identification and to ascorbic acid in recognition of it ability to prevent scurvy.
The name for vitamin C that derives from the Latin word ascorbic, which means ‘without scurvy.’
In 1974, Cameron and Pauling suggested that vitamin C might play a role in the supportive care of cancer patients.
Discovery of Vitamin C
