Karen Charlton, University of Wollongong
A major hospital in western Sydney recently reported a number of diabetes patients were suffering from scurvy, a historical disease common in sailors on long voyages who were deprived of citrus fruit and vegetables.
Scurvy is caused by severe and chronic deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and is in modern times extremely rare. But considering our current dietary habits and their association with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, could scurvy be making a comeback?
What is it?
In 1747, before the protective effects of vitamin C had been identified, British physician James Lind conducted the first clinical experiment in the history of medicine. He provided oranges and lemons to a group of sailors who were showing symptoms of scurvy. They showed remarkable improvements in a short time.
However, it took more…
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Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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