Define Discovery of other Essential Nutrients?

Following the identification of the food factors involved in beriberi, pellagra and scurvy, the search was on for other water-soluble vitamins. During the years that followed, we witnessed an expansion in the list of essential nutrients, which currently stand at about 40. These include the major energy giving food components, namely, carbohydrates, proteins and fats (also known as the proximate principles), the water and fat-soluble vitamins, and the minerals including the trace and ultra trace minerals. The list of currently known essential nutrients is shown in Table.

Table: Currently known essential nutrients and nutritionally relevant compounds