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How does vitamin C deficiency lead to scurvy?

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rickets, a nutritional disease — nutritional disease Children with rickets. The disease, which most commonly strikes children, causes bone deformities such as bowlegs. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D or calcium.

Scurvy is a nutritional disorder caused by a dietary deficiency of vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid.1

The primary mechanism by which this deficiency leads to disease is through the disruption of collagen synthesis. Collagen is a vital structural protein that serves as a major component of skin, bones, cartilage, blood vessels, and other connective tissues. Because humans cannot synthesize vitamin C internally, they must obtain it through their diet to support the ongoing maintenance and repair of these tissues.12

When vitamin C levels are depleted, the body cannot effectively synthesize collagen, which interferes with normal tissue integrity. This failure manifests clinically as symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, swollen and bleeding gums, hemorrhages, and impaired wound healing. If left untreated, the condition can lead to severe complications or death.12