Introduction: The vitamin that started it all

Before the term “vitamin” was even coined, Vitamin A was quietly saving lives and restoring sight. Today we know it as the essential nutrient for vision, skin, and immune health, but its discovery in the early 20th century marked the beginning of a new era in nutritional science. This is the incredible origin story of vitamin A, the vitamin that started it all.

A world without vitamins

In the 1800s, scientists believed that diseases were caused by germs, poor sanitation, or injuries, not by something missing from food. Yet certain illnesses, like night blindness, kept showing up in people with limited access to animal fats or yellow vegetables.

Traditional remedies like cod liver oil were known to help, but no one knew why until a few curious researchers followed the clues.

The first breakthrough: Fat-soluble factor A

In 1913, American scientists Elmer McCollum and Marguerite Davis discovered that young rats fed a fat-free diet developed eye disorders. When butterfat or cod liver oil was added, the symptoms disappeared. Around the same time, British scientist Frederick Gowland Hopkins made similar findings.

They had uncovered a vital nutrient, later named vitamin A, and proved for the first time that certain diseases were caused by nutrient deficiencies, not toxins or germs.

Naming the vitamin: Why “A”?

In 1912, Polish biochemist Casimir Funk had introduced the term “vitamine” (from “vital amine”) to describe these essential compounds. As more nutrients were discovered, scientists named them in order: A, B, C, and so on. Because it was the first vitamin to be identified, this fat-soluble compound became Vitamin A.

From retinol to beta-carotene: The chemistry behind vitamin A

In the 1930s, researchers isolated the active form of Vitamin A and named it retinol, due to its role in the retina of the eye. Not long after, scientists identified beta-carotene, a bright orange pigment in carrots and sweet potatoes as a plant-based precursor to Vitamin A.

This discovery explained why people who ate colorful vegetables were less likely to suffer from night blindness and other deficiency-related illnesses.

Global Health Impact: Fighting Blindness with Vitamin A

Vitamin A’s discovery had one of the biggest public health impacts of any nutrient. By the mid-20th century, researchers realized that vitamin A deficiency was the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness in low-income countries.

This led to global supplementation programs, many of which are still ongoing today. According to the World Health Organization, vitamin A supplementation has saved millions of children from blindness and early death.

Why vitamin A still matters today

Vitamin A’s discovery didn’t just treat a deficiency. It changed the way we understand health. It led to the identification of other vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, helping shift the focus from treating disease to preventing it through nutrition.

Today, Vitamin A is known to:

• Support vision and eye health
• Strengthen the immune system
• Promote healthy skin and tissue repair
• Aid in growth and development, especially during pregnancy

Conclusion: The first and foremost vitamin

From a curious lab experiment to a global health breakthrough, the story of Vitamin A is a testament to the power of science and the critical role of nutrition in human health. As the first vitamin ever discovered, it laid the foundation for everything we now know about micronutrients, supplementation, and dietary health.

Next in the Series: The Mystery of Vitamin B

The story continues with the discovery of Vitamin B, a complex group of nutrients linked to energy, nerve function, and some of history’s most misunderstood diseases. Stay tuned for the next chapter in our Vitamin Origin Series on the Volta Santé blog.