The History of Nutrition
A timeline of major discoveries in the science of nutrition.
1747 - James Lind discovers that fresh oranges and lemons prevent scurvy1830 - Adolphe Quetelet creates the Body Mass Index (BMI)
1912 - Kazimierz Funk creates the concept of a vitamin
1920 - George Minot, William Murphy, and George Whipple find that liver and liver extracts are a cure for pernicious anemia, a precursor to the discovery of vitamin B12
1929 - Henrik Dam Discovers Vitamin K
1934 - Clive McCay Discovers that Calorie Restriction Extends Life-Span in Rats
1936 - Harold Himsworth classifies type II (insulin resistant) diabetes
1949 - Charles Burnett characterizes the milk-alkali syndrome caused by excess intake of calcium and alkali
1956 - Denham Harman proposes the free radical theory of aging
1997 - The International Agency for Research on Cancer concludes that a diet high in fruits and vegetables reduces cancer risk