Who persuaded medical institutions that vitamin deficiencies are real?

[Boojatta]

At various times, various vitamins were not recognized by medical institutions as being necessary for health. The usual practice is for a relatively open-minded doctor to grudgingly okay a patient's request for experimental treatment, provided that the patient agrees to simultaneously undergo standard treatment. When did doctors drop the various ineffective treatments for symptoms of vitamin deficiency?

[Taverner]

1. Um, scientists and doctors

With mountains of research

[Boojatta]

13. In other words, doctors couldn't be persuaded to accept ...

that some conditions could be cured by means of a safe, inexpensive dietary approach until after mountains of evidence had accumulated in support of a safe, inexpensive dietary solution. That's exactly what I was worried about.

Perhaps this explains why some contributions to medical journals were refused publication until they had been submitted with the name of one author (Pritikin) omitted.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. "Vitamin" is a contraction of "vital amine."

Thus, vitamins have always been recognized as necessary for health.

By defnition.

"The usual practice is for a relatively open-minded doctor to grudgingly okay a patient's request for experimental treatment, provided that the patient agrees to simultaneously undergo standard treatment."

Experimental treatments are not usual practice. Simultaneously providing standard treatment is not common practice during experimental treatments.

"When did doctors drop the various ineffective treatments for symptoms of vitamin deficiency?"

The effective treatment for vitamin deficiency is vitamin supplementation. Ineffective treatment for vitamin deficiency has never been a recommended treatment.

[Boojatta]

6. Doesn't it depend upon the nature of the experimental treatment?

Simultaneously providing standard treatment is not common practice during experimental treatments.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. If the patient is given standard treatment, what's the point of the experiment?

I suppose there could be experiments conducted in this manner, but they'd be exceptions.

Please provide an example.

[Boojatta]

8. "Thus, vitamins have always been recognized as necessary for health."

Various substances that are in fact vitamins were not always recognized as being vitamins. In fact, many of them were not known at all until after they were extracted from foods that were known to prevent or cure particular vitamin deficiencies.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Well duh.

People didn't know vitamin C was a vitamin until they discovered it.

What's your point?

[Boojatta]

14. What's your point?

Recap:

Boojatta:
At various times, various vitamins were not recognized by medical institutions as being necessary for health.

HiFructosePronSyrup:
"Vitamin" is a contraction of "vital amine."
Thus, vitamins have always been recognized as necessary for health.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Has there ever been a point...

when a recognized vitamin was not considered necessary for health?

[Boojatta]

17. I didn't restrict attention to vitamins that were recognized as being vitamins.

Talking about "a recognized vitamin" has been your contribution to this discussion, and I don't see the point of that contribution.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. Then your first sentence is a tautology.

"At various times before vitamins were recognized as being essential for health, vitamins were not recognized as being essential for health."

[Boojatta]

19. Are you trying to quote me?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. I'm paraphrasing you.

Or at least paraphrasing you on what you claim to be the original meaning of your first sentence.

Despite the apparent meaning based on your OP title.

[eShirl]

3. people with scurvy?

[Warpy]

4. ...and rickets and beriberi

[Dora]

12. ... and pernicious anemia (nt)

[TZ]

5. Yeah and back then they thought demons caused illness...

:eyes:
I'd like to know where you get some of these "ideas".

[ThomWV]

7. Well, you sure got handed your ass, didn't you? However I think you have a point

I don't know jack shit about vitimins and have never taken one in my life. I do have an uninformed opninion about them though. I think they are necessary and I also think anyone with even marginally well rounded eathing habits needs no supliment what so ever.

[kimmerspixelated]

15. That mighta been true some time ago.

However, veggies grown today have much,much less nutrition than in past ages. EVERYONE needs to supplement these days. There are far too many free-radicals ready to pounce in our toxin ridden society. The trick is in getting real vits, not the synthetic type. WHole food vits, highly absorbable types are the best. If you get all your vits and minerals from drugstore or supermarket A or B, you're not getting quality. I hope you start taking some, at least vit. C!!! (It's good for everything):hi:

[edhopper]

11. Not sure what your trying to say.

Are you saying the whole idea of vitamins is bullshit? There are real illnesses that come from vitamin deficiencies, like scurvy. And there is need in people for minerals like iron and potassium and manganese. But most people with a normal diet , do not have deficiencies. And Taking Vitamins to improve health in an otherwise healthy person is probably ineffective. But it's not a either/or thing.