Vitamins are not just an added nutritional bonus, as some advertisements would have us believe. They are chemical substances present in food which are essential not only to our health and well-being, but to life itself. Although they have always been there, it was not until the early part of this century that man began to understand their importance. In 1911 a Polish chemist, Casimir Funk, first coined the name vitamine when, working on a.cure for beri-beri, he isolated what is now known as vitamin B1 (thiamine). Since that time scientists all over the world have been researching into these remarkable components of the food we eat. Discoveries continue to be made today, and the more we find out the longer the list of vitamins grows.
In this book Carol Hunter explains all about vitamins and the role they play in our lives, and she gives important advice on planning a diet and lifestyle that ensures an adequate intake of these substances so vital to our well-being.