A Brief History of the Multivitamin

To many of us, it seems like vitamins have been around forever. Whether in tablets, drops, gummies, or powder, vitamins have been a constant for many decades. But, in the grand scheme of history, supplementation is a relatively recent innovation.

Early Discoveries in Nutrition and Germ Theory

The first known research on micronutrients—though it wasn’t recognized as such—took place in the mid-1700s, when physician James Lind observed nutrient depletion (scurvy) among sailors returning from long voyages. He conducted one of the first “controlled” clinical trials with various treatments and ultimately found that the subjects treated with citrus, which contained high amounts of vitamin C, recovered enough to take care of other sailors. Though this was a notable development in the field of nutrition, the true birth of vitamins, as we think of them today, took about a century and a half to kick off.¹

The early 1900s discovery of germ theory—which posited that germs, or microorganisms, can cause infectious disease through their growth in living hosts—contributed to the need for more multivitamin research.² It was a pivotal moment in medical history, leading to new hygiene practices, vaccines, and antibiotics and the establishment of a link between poor hygiene/dissatisfactory sanitation and disease. As a result, food was sterilized to get rid of bacteria, mold, and toxins. We know now, of course, that sterilizing (like the processing of grains and polishing of rice) also destroys much of the nutrient content, specifically water-soluble B vitamins.

There was much more to learn: During that period, only three essential nutrients were recognized in food: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. In a 1912 scientific paper, Polish biochemist Casimir Funk coined the term vitamine (the “e” was later dropped) and is often credited with discovering vitamins — or at least theorizing that four vitamins existed. (It’s now known that there are 13 essential vitamins.) Funk proposed that introducing vitamins into the diet could have significant health effects and that certain ailments were due to vitamin deficiency.³

The First Commercial Multivitamins

Although vitamin research in the beginning of the 20th century was still focused on treating disease, vitamins were available for sale to the public starting as early as 1916. Products like Mastin’s Yeast Vitamin Tablets set the stage for what would later become multivitamins along with others which contained vitamins A, B, and C, iron, and calcium. These were sold for ailments like heartburn, digestion, and constipation.⁴

The first commercial multivitamin, Nutrilite, was developed in the 1930s by businessman Carl F. Rehnborg. A decade prior, he had spent time in China, where he had observed what he believed was the effect of a poor diet (lacking in vitamins and nutrients) on overall health. (Rehnborg is also credited with inventing multi-level marketing — he gave his friends the product to try and then earned commission when they sold his products to others.)⁵

With the onset of WWII, American men were called for military service and it was found that one-third were suffering from disabilities known to stem from poor nutrition, likely made worse by the lack of available food during the Great Depression.⁶ In 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated the National Nutrition Conference for Defense, where experts gathered to discuss malnutrition, specifically in combat troops. The existence of Nutrilite, along with the conference contributed to a new understanding of vitamin deficiency, and what could be done to prevent or treat it.

The result was the first set of government-sponsored Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for 6 vitamins (vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and D) and two minerals (calcium and iron). These historic recommendations set the precedent for nutrition research and policy recommendations.

Alongside the dawn of supplementation, food fortification (the addition of vitamins) was also becoming commonplace in the U.S. The 1920s saw the introduction of iodized salt, and a decade later the fortification of milk with vitamin D. Flour and bread began to be enriched in the 1940s and starting in the 1980s, calcium was added to a number of food products.⁷ This further reinforced the consciousness of the significance of vitamins in the diet.

The Multivitamin Revolution

In 1943, the ‘One-a-Day” multivitamin was introduced, featuring vitamins A, C, D, and three Bs and by 1946, the National Vitamin Foundation was formed by major vitamin producers, to fund research by academic laboratories.⁸ In the late 1950s, many multivitamins were advertised as an addition to the table, to be kept alongside salt and pepper shakers as an essential part of the daily routine.

As vitamin manufacturing development evolved, the sugar coating of most tablets was replaced with a thin, tasteless coating for easier swallowing. Packaging design also changed, from the apothecary-style glass jars of early vitamins to a more modern look. And, the audience of supplementation widened: Bayer introduced a children’s vitamin in 1960 called “Chocks” which set the stage for the ubiquitous Flintstones kids multivitamins, which arrived on the market in 1968 and are still sold today.⁹ By the 1970s, there was a wide array of multivitamins.

The Multivitamins of Today

Today multivitamins are informed by new and quickly evolving research on nutrition, bioavailability, gut health, and more. Modern multivitamins can accommodate allergies, dietary restrictions, and preferences of formula and format, including capsules, gummies, chewables, liquids, and powders.

Some aspects of the multivitamin remain unchanged, like the fact that taking a single, once-daily product is more convenient than taking many. Multivitamins are still used to fill in dietary gaps left by food processing, or restrictive and limited diets, but rather than a blunt stopgap, they’re high-tech and fine-tuned. Many people fall short of nutrition recommendations—for example, 75% of the U.S. population over 1 year of age do not consume the recommended intake of fruit and more than 80% do not consume the recommended intake of vegetables. Other factors like aging, stress, exercise, environmental toxins, and modern diets exacerbate nutrient gaps, making foundational supplementation like AG1 — with its vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics — an effective way to help fill nutrient gaps and promote gut health.*

Gut health is at the core of AG1’s innovation: Around 60-70 million Americans are affected by gastrointestinal concerns, which can impact nutrient absorption and overall health. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for breaking down and absorbing nutrients and synthesizing vitamins. Here at AG1, we understand that combining vitamins and minerals with digestive enzymes and probiotics can enhance nutrient absorption.*

The Takeaway

From starting out as an essential discovery to becoming a daily health staple, the vitamin has experienced a steady change over the last century. And, as the global population ages and lives longer, there is a growing focus on maintaining health and vitality, making supplementation even more crucial.¹⁰

We designed AG1 to create a new kind of multivitamin that didn’t previously exist, adding probiotics and prebiotics along with a diverse blend of superfoods. While the vitamin was initially developed as a form of reparative care, AG1 exists to optimize whole body health in an easy-to-incorporate, everyday way. We’ve drawn on the decades of development to become the future of the multivitamin, reimagined as your Daily Health Drink. As research and science evolve, we are evolving right alongside you today, tomorrow, and beyond.