Unraveling the Enigma of Vitamin D (Spanish version, 2003)

Summary: Rickets was a common disease afflicting children in the eighteenth century. Physicians realized that these diseases were related to “accessory food factors,” which led scientists to demonstrate the existence of vitamins. Meanwhile, scientists found that exposure to sunlight seemed to be an effective treatment for rickets. Physicians also found that an unknown nutrient in cod liver oil was effective against rickets. Following the designation of vitamins in alphabetic order, they dubbed this new nutrient vitamin D. Scientists found that irradiated foods contained the nutrient that seemed to fight rickets, but they still knew nothing of what this nutrient was and how it worked to cure rickets. The search continued for the exact substance in food and skin that was activated by ultraviolet radiation. Through extensive research, scientists isolated 3 forms of vitamin D, which made it possible to synthesize the vitamin in large quantities. Research continued to determine how vitamin D worked in the body and scientists were able to determine the process by which vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium in the body.