The first commercially produced multivitamin was introduced in 1934. It was a nutritional supplement that contained more than the usual vitamins A and D. The product was made from dried and concentrated natural vegetables and fruits. Since then, the development of nutritional vitamins and minerals accelerated and became more widespread.
The history of modern multivitamin and mineral supplements is very recent. However, investigations on the health benefits of foods and their effect on the human body can be traced back since the ancient Sumerian civilization.
The Early Appreciation of Good Nutrition
Ancient civilizations already knew that foods could play a big role in maintaining good health. Shamans, medicine men, and scholars believed that certain foods have medicinal properties and eating them regularly could treat illnesses.
The ancient Sumerians were the first to avidly study the nutritional and medicinal values of foods, specifically exotic herbs, roots, plants and vegetables, and fruits. Unfortunately, there was scant record of these studies because most of them were destroyed by calamities, wars, and other man-made disasters.
The concept of multivitamin however was not known during the ancient period. They simply observed that certain food factors could make a person healthier. More in-depth investigations on food factors and the nutritional and medicinal properties of foods were continued by the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the Far East, the Chinese and Indian medicine men were already starting to systematize the rich knowledge base for nutrition and food-borne medicines.
The Modern Period and Popularization of Multivitamin
The knowledge base about food nutrition and food factor started by the ancients was further systematized in the early modern period. As technology advanced, experts were able to isolate substances that can be found in foods. As early as 17th century, it was believed that a certain food factor in citrus helped greatly in the treatment of scurvy.
By the 19th and 20th century, almost all vitamins were isolated and identified. This paved the way for the development of multivitamin and multi-mineral concentrates. These concentrated formulations were designed primarily to answer the growing micronutrient needs of the people.
Functions of Multivitamin
Everyone knows that vitamins and minerals are essential for the proper growth and development of the body. Unfortunately for some people, their diet may not contain sufficient micronutrients to support the needs of their bodies.
In such cases, they may have to take multivitamin in order to avoid a deficiency. There are also people who have special vitamin requirement. For example, pregnant women should consume more folate, calcium and iron to support the fetus.
People who live in countries that receive less sunlight could also benefit a lot from multivitamin. Lack of sun exposure may cause vitamin D deficiency and could adversely affect the bodys calcium and phosphorous balance. By taking additional vitamins and minerals, such deficiency could be avoided.
Multivitamin and multi-minerals have been developed very recently. However, the benefits of nutrition, food factors, and the beneficial impact of nutrients to the body have been studied by scholars and medicine men since the ancient period.