Scurvy, a disease often associated with eighteenth-century seafarers, is making a resurgence in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Medical research has identified a clear culprit: growing economic inequality.
Scurvy results from a deficiency in vitamin C deficiency, which is found in fruits and vegetables, specifically citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruit, as well as cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach. In the United States, scurvy rates among children have more than tripled in recent years, from 8.2 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 26.7 per 100,000 in 2020, according to a July 2024 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which analyzed data from over 19 million pediatric patients.
The study found that 36.5 percent of pediatric patients with scurvy were from the lowest income quartile, compared to 29.2 percent of the pediatric population. Similarly, 56.5 percent of patients with scurvy were on Medicaid, compared to 48.3 of all inpatients.
A 2008 study in the Journal of Health found that poor vitamin C levels are common among “materially deprived” adults in the UK, with 25 percent of men and 16 percent of women in lower socioeconomic groups suffering from Vitamin C deficiency.
Pointing to a broader trend of food insecurity among scurvy patients, the 2024 US survey found that more than half also suffered from vitamin D deficiency, which is attributable in part to a lack of protein-rich foods, including egg yolks, mushrooms and certain types of fish. Another key…
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Auteur: Jeremey Appel
