A deficiency of vitamin C causes scurvy, a disease that became notorious among sailors on long voyages. Vitamin C is needed for the body to make collagen, a structural protein important for skin, blood vessels, bones, cartilage, and wound repair. Without enough of it, tissues gradually weaken.
Early symptoms can include fatigue, weakness, irritability, and aching joints. As scurvy progresses, gums may swell and bleed, teeth can loosen, bruises may appear easily, wounds heal poorly, and anemia can develop. Severe untreated disease can be fatal. Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, are rich sources of vitamin C.
Sailors were vulnerable because preserved shipboard food often lacked fresh produce. In the eighteenth century, British naval surgeon James Lind conducted a well-known 1747 trial comparing treatments for scurvy and found that citrus fruits were highly effective. The British Navy later supplied lime juice, giving British sailors the nickname “limeys.” Pellagra results from niacin deficiency, beriberi from thiamine deficiency, and rickets mainly from vitamin D deficiency.