The Scientist Who Discovered Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a nutrient that is required for good health. It is an antioxidant that aids in the fight against free radicals, which can cause cell damage and other serious health problems if not dealt with promptly. Aside from that, vitamin C is required for the production of collagen, a protein that can be found in the bones and cartilage of the body as well as in the teeth, gums, skin, and blood vessels. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and broccoli are just a few of the nutritious foods that contain vitamin C.

Portrait of Nobel Prize laureate Albert Szent Györgyi. photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Who Is The Father Of Vitamin C?

From 1928 to 1932, Albert Szent-Györgyi, a Hungarian scientist and Nobel Prize recipient, is credited with discovering the chemical ascorbic acid—also known as vitamin C. Paprika was used to make 3 pounds of pure crystalline ascorbic acid, which Szent-Györgyi administered to vitamin C-deficient guinea pigs. Szent-Györgyi later discovered that this acid was equivalent to vitamin C.

During a lecture by Albert Szent Györgyi. photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Did You Know?

The Silver Medal of Valor for bravery was awarded to Albert Szent-Györgyi during World War I, during which time he served as an army medic. After being wounded in the arm, he was discharged from the army in 1917.
Szent-Györgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937 for his discovery of vitamin C and the relevance of fumaric acid catalysis in cellular respiration.
In 1940, Szent-Györgyi used the money he had acquired as a result of the Nobel Prize to aid Finland in its defence against the Soviet invasion.
The Szeged Medical University was renamed the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University in 1987.
Albert Szent-Györgyi was commemorated on two postage stamps, one of which included his portrait and was issued by Hungary in 1988.
The Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research was founded in honour of Albert Szent-Györgyi, co-founder of the National Foundation for Cancer Research.
Szent-Györgyi wrote over 300 articles and 11 books during his career.
On September 16, 2011, 118 years after his birth, Albert Szent-Györgyi was honoured with a Google Doodle.

Sources:Wikipedia, ACS, Science History Institute, Laboratory Medicine, NFCR