I find the history of medicine fascinating. The people who discovered the existence of vitamins and minerals without the use of modern equipment were truly amazing, relying more heavily on intellect to discover micronutrients that make life possible.

The discovery of vitamin B6 was one of those astounding discoveries. The first B vitamins to be discovered were thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2). In fact, by the year 1932, those were the only B vitamins to have been observed.

In one study that took place after the discovery, researchers fed young rats a B vitamin deficient diet, then added vitamins B1 and B2 without any further supplementation. After a period of time, the rats developed skin lesions characterized by swelling, redness, and scaliness.

Other animal studies in which vitamin B6 was lacking resulted in anemia, heart disease, and seizures. This condition was referred to as rat acrodynia.

In 1934, Hungarian physician Paul Gyorgy, M.D., found that adding a substance to rat food would cure acrodynia. This substance – which was isolated in 1938 by Samuel Lepkovsky – was labeled vitamin B6.