Casimir Funk, a Polish biochemist, is credited with coining the term “vitamine” (later changed to “vitamin”) in 1912. Funk was researching disorders such as beriberi, which were common in people who ate polished rice devoid of key critical elements. He discovered a chemical in rice husks that could help prevent and treat beriberi. Funk initially called this molecule a “vital amine” because he thought it was an amine (a type of organic compound containing nitrogen) that was necessary for life. Later, it was realized that not all vitamins are amines, therefore the term was changed to “vitamin.”