The term vitamins was coined, by C Funk in 1912, which means essential for life. Vitamins are accessory fast factors, required in small quantity for controlling metabolism and body functioning, e.g., they help keeping our eyes, bones, teeth and gums healthy, but do not provide energy. Vitamins are an essential component of our diet, because they are not produced inside the body and in the absence of vitamins, a number of chemical reactions cannot take place.