2006-09-19 08:17:52 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
All known vitamins now have chemical names. Originally, before the chemical nature of each vitamin was known (and often before it was discovered that many suspected vitamins weren't vitamins) each 'vitamin discovery' was given a letter or number to identify it. Thus we have B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12. The missing numbers were discovered not to be actual vitamins or components of other vitamins and thus these numbers were 'dropped'.
The Water soluble vitamins include:
B1- Thiamin
B2 - Riboflavin
B3 - Niacin/niacinamide
B5 - Pantothenic Acid
B6 - Piridoxine
B12 - Cobalamin
Folate
Biotin
Vitamin C - Ascorbate/Ascorbic Acid
Fat soluble vitamins include:
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Other nutrients are considered 'conditionally-essential vitamins' such as:
Choline
Lipoic Acid
Coenzyme Q
Best wishes.
2006-09-19 17:19:37 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor J 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most people have trouble pronouncing them, let alone remembering them. For the same reason you don't ask for salicylic acid, when you go to the store.
2006-09-19 08:22:24 · answer #2 · answered by mrcricket1932 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They actually do have names but most people can't pronounce them (myself included), so they shortened them to what people can remember. Same with plant & flower species...they have common names and scientific names. =)
2006-09-19 08:26:36 · answer #3 · answered by aloneinga 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋