1. Scurvy helped mankind understand the essential nature of fresh foods
When the European explorers set out on ships to discover the New World, large portions of the sailors routinely fell ill and died of scurvy. It took centuries of trial and error to discover that the salt-packed foods that sustained them for months at sea were nutrient deficient. Only when they docked and were able to eat fresh fruit, such as citrus, would the symptoms recede and disappear. In 1907, vitamin C in fruit was firmly established as the agent responsible for scurvy prevention.
2. Humans evolved with fruit and, therefore, need it
Humans lack the ability to naturally produce vitamin C, likely because the first Homo sapiens emerged from tropical climates where fruit and vegetables were abundantly available as a food source.
3. Symptoms of scurvy
Scurvy is rarely seen in the developed world today, except among the elderly and infants receiving inadequate nutrition. More frequently, scurvy occurs in impoverished communities where fresh fruits and vegetables are in short supply. Symptoms are purplish spots on the skin, particularly the legs, spongy gums and tooth loss, bleeding in mucous membranes (including nosebleeds), a pallid complexion, sunken eyes, healed scars that reopen and knitted-bone fractures that separate.
4. The specific fruits that prevent scurvy and quantities required
Citrus, including lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit, is a rich source of vitamin C that both prevents and cures scurvy. Other fruits most commonly available with higher vitamin C content are blackcurrant, red pepper, guava, kiwifruit, redcurrant, elderberry, strawberry, melon, passion fruit and mango. Certain vegetables are also good sources of vitamin C: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach and cabbage contain the highest concentrations. Recommended daily requirements for vitamin C in the U.S. are 90 milligrams per adult male, 75 milligrams for women, with an upper intake level of 2,000 milligrams for either gender (a 100-gram serving of orange yields 50 milligrams of vitamin C). Pregnant women, tobacco smokers and persons under stress have slightly higher requirements.
5. Fruits with vitamin C may prevent more than scurvy
The Mayo Clinic cautions doctors and consumers on what vitamin C from fruit and other sources may affect beyond scurvy. More than 30 clinical trials involving 10,000 participants showed no significant reduction in the common cold when supplementing with 200 milligram or more of the vitamin, however the duration of colds has been shown to be reduced by 10 percent in adults who supplement with vitamin C. But endurance athletes and soldiers in sub-arctic conditions do report a reduction of 50 percent in colds from vitamin C supplementation. The clinic's website says there is good scientific evidence that vitamin C from fruit and other sources may enhance iron absorption, while it's scientifically unclear whether the vitamin affects asthma, prevents or treats cancer or prevents strokes. The American Cancer Society notes that while consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C correlates with a lower risk of cancer, studies on vitamin C supplements do not show such a connection. The ACS suggests that lower cancer risk may be due to a combination of vitamins and other phytochemicals present in fruit and vegetables, not vitamin C alone.
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