- Also called:
- vitamin C deficiency
- Key People:
- James Lind
- Sir Gilbert Blane, 1st Baronet
- Related Topics:
- vitamin C
- vitamin deficiency disease
- On the Web:
- National Center for Biotechnology Information - Vitamin C Deficiency (Oct. 30, 2026)
scurvy
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What is scurvy?
Scurvy is a nutritional disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the diet, which is essential for collagen formation and tissue synthesis. Symptoms typically appear after a few months of inadequate vitamin C intake, with initial signs including fatigue, soreness, and joint stiffness. As scurvy progresses, gums may swell and bleed, teeth can loosen, and bleeding may occur under the skin and in deep tissues. If left untreated, scurvy can be fatal, usually from bleeding or infection complications.
Scurvy is rare in developed countries but can occur with restrictive diets lacking fruits and vegetables. Treatment involves vitamin C administration, with a daily dose of 100 mg for adults or 10 to 25 mg for children typically resulting in a cure within days.
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What causes scurvy?
Scurvy, a nutritional disorder, is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the diet. This deficiency interferes with the synthesis of collagen, a crucial element of normal tissues.
Symptoms usually appear after a few months of inadequate vitamin C intake, when the body's reserves are depleted. Initial symptoms include fatigue, soreness, and joint stiffness. As it progresses, the gums may swell and bleed, and teeth can loosen. If left untreated, scurvy can be fatal, often due to bleeding or infection complications.
Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits and fresh vegetables.
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What are the early signs of scurvy?
Scurvy, a nutritional disorder caused by vitamin C deficiency, is marked by symptoms that typically manifest after a few months of inadequate intake. Early signs include fatigue, soreness, and stiffness in the joints and lower extremities. As the condition advances, the gums may swell and bleed, and teeth can become loose. Additional indications of advanced scurvy include bleeding under the skin and in deep tissues, slow wound healing, anemia, and changes in personality. If left untreated, scurvy can be fatal, usually as a result of bleeding or infection complications.
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How does not getting enough vitamin C affect the body?
Scurvy, a nutritional disorder, arises from a deficiency in vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is vital for collagen formation in tissues. Initial symptoms include fatigue, joint soreness, and stiffness. As it progresses, gums swell and bleed, teeth loosen, and bleeding occurs under the skin and in deep tissues. Wound healing slows, anemia develops, and personality changes may occur. If left untreated, scurvy can be fatal, typically from bleeding or infection complications. Scurvy is uncommon in developed countries but can occur with restricted diets lacking fruits and vegetables.
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Which foods can help prevent scurvy?
Scurvy, a nutritional disorder, arises from a deficiency in vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which impairs normal tissue synthesis. Symptoms include fatigue, joint stiffness, bleeding gums, and slow wound healing.
To prevent scurvy, consume foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. Other excellent sources include strawberries and broccoli. Even small quantities of vitamin C (10 mg daily) can prevent scurvy, though intakes closer to 100 mg daily are recommended for antioxidant protection.
Historically, James Cook prevented scurvy on his ships by providing his crew with diets that included cress, sauerkraut, and orange extract, alongside maintaining cleanliness and ventilation.
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How is scurvy treated and cured if someone gets it?
Scurvy, a nutritional disorder, arises from a deficiency in vitamin C, impacting tissue synthesis. Treatment involves administering vitamin C, with a daily dose of 100 mg for adults or 10 to 25 mg for infants and children, alongside a normal diet, typically resulting in a cure within days.
Symptoms of scurvy include fatigue, joint stiffness, swollen and bleeding gums, and slow wound healing. Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is vital for collagen formation and is found in fresh fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits. Scurvy can be prevented with small quantities of vitamin C (10 mg per day), while intakes of 100 mg per day are recommended.
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scurvy, one of the oldest-known nutritional disorders of humankind, caused by a dietary lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), a nutrient found in many fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly the citrus fruits. Vitamin C is important in the formation of collagen (an element of normal tissues), and any deficiency of the vitamin interferes with normal tissue synthesis, a problem that underlies the clinical manifestations of the disorder.
Symptoms of scurvy usually become apparent within several months of vitamin C being absent from the diet, by which time lingering pools of vitamin C in fat, muscle, and other tissues have been depleted. Initial symptoms of scurvy include fatigue and soreness and stiffness of the joints and lower extremities. As the condition progresses, the gums swell and bleed, and teeth may loosen. Bleeding under the skin and in deep tissues, slow wound healing, anemia, and changes in personality are other indications of advanced disease. Left untreated, death ensues, typically as a result of bleeding or of complications from infection.
Some of the earliest evidence for a disorder suggesting scurvy dates to 3800–3600 bce, captured in characteristic bone changes in the skeleton of a roughly one-year-old child in Egypt. Another early probable case of scurvy, described from the skeletal remains of a child in England, dates to 2200–1970 bce. In addition, accounts of what was probably scurvy are found in ancient writings. The first clear-cut descriptions of the disorder, however, appear in the records of the medieval Crusades. Later, toward the end of the 15th century, scurvy became the major cause of disability and mortality among sailors on long sea voyages. In 1753 Scottish naval surgeon James Lind showed that scurvy could be cured and prevented by ingestion of the juice of oranges and lemons. Soon citrus fruits became so common aboard ship that British sailors were referred to as “limeys.”
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In modern times, full-blown cases of vitamin C deficiency are relatively rare, being limited primarily to situations involving general malnutrition, such as in impoverished parts of the world. In developed regions, scurvy may still be seen, however, in elderly adults and in individuals who follow restrictive diets (e.g., because of a food allergy) or lack basic access to fruits and vegetables and in alcoholic individuals who consume a severely imbalanced diet. Smokers, pregnant or lactating women, and persons with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), inflammatory bowel disease, or type 1 diabetes often require increased amounts of vitamin C in their diets because of decreased absorption by the body.
Infants fed reconstituted milk or milk substitutes without a vitamin C or orange juice supplement are also at increased risk. Symptoms peculiar to infantile scurvy (Barlow disease) include swelling and pain of the lower extremities and lesions of the growing bones.
Administration of vitamin C is the specific therapy for scurvy. Even in cases of severe deficiency, a daily dose of 100 mg (1 mg = 0.001 gram) for adults or 10 to 25 mg for infants and children, accompanied by a normal diet, commonly produces a cure within several days.