Exploring What Lifestyle Factors Contribute to Scurvy

November 7, 2025 •

4 min read

Globally, millions suffer from vitamin C deficiency, a condition that can progress to scurvy. Understanding what lifestyle factors contribute to scurvy is essential for prevention and early intervention, even in developed nations where cases are still reported.

Quick Summary

Several lifestyle factors can cause or accelerate a severe vitamin C deficiency, including insufficient intake of fresh produce, habits like smoking and heavy alcohol use, and certain socioeconomic or medical circumstances.

Key Points

Poor Diet is the Main Factor: Insufficient intake of fresh fruits and vegetables is the most common cause of scurvy, as humans cannot produce their own vitamin C.
Smoking Accelerates Deficiency: Cigarette smoking significantly depletes the body's vitamin C stores, requiring a higher intake to prevent deficiency.
Alcohol Abuse Interferes with Absorption: Chronic alcoholism often leads to poor dietary habits and reduced absorption of vital nutrients like vitamin C.
Restrictive Diets Pose High Risk: Individuals on limited diets due to allergies, disorders, or personal preference are highly susceptible to vitamin C deficiency.
Food Preparation Matters: Cooking methods like boiling can destroy vitamin C in foods, making raw or lightly cooked produce more beneficial.
Socioeconomic Barriers Affect Access: Low income and food insecurity can limit access to fresh, vitamin C-rich foods, increasing scurvy risk.
Elderly and Infants are Vulnerable: Malnutrition in the elderly and specific feeding practices for infants are significant risk factors for scurvy in modern times.

The Primary Culprit: Poor Dietary Habits

Scurvy is fundamentally a nutritional disease, and the most direct lifestyle factor contributing to it is a poor diet that lacks sufficient vitamin C. Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C and must obtain it from external food sources, primarily fresh fruits and vegetables. When a person's diet is devoid of these essential items for at least three months, their body's vitamin C stores become dangerously depleted.

The Impact of Modern Diets

In the modern era, poor dietary habits are not limited to long sea voyages but are often a product of other lifestyle choices. A dependence on fast food, highly processed meals, and carbonated beverages, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, has led to a decrease in fresh fruit and vegetable consumption. This can occur across different socioeconomic groups, including individuals who are overweight or obese but still suffer from nutritional deficiencies because their diet lacks density, not just calories. Restrictive eating patterns, whether due to personal preference, mental health issues like anorexia nervosa, or even avoidance/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in children, also significantly increase risk.

Lifestyle Habits That Increase Vitamin C Needs

Certain habits actively increase the body's need for vitamin C or hinder its absorption, making even a borderline diet insufficient.

Smoking and Vitamin C Depletion

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for scurvy, as the harmful compounds in smoke deplete the body's vitamin C levels. Smokers require an additional 35 mg of vitamin C daily compared to non-smokers to maintain adequate levels, yet many are unaware of this increased need. This increased depletion, combined with the often poorer dietary habits of smokers, significantly raises their risk of deficiency.

Alcoholism and Nutritional Neglect

Chronic alcoholism is strongly associated with malnutrition and vitamin C deficiency. Alcohol can interfere with the absorption of vitamins in the digestive system. Furthermore, individuals with a long-term dependency on alcohol often neglect proper nutrition, further exacerbating the deficiency. Multiple case studies have documented scurvy in individuals with histories of heavy alcohol use and poor food intake.

Poor Cooking Practices and Food Preparation

Vitamin C is a water-soluble and heat-sensitive nutrient. This means improper food preparation can destroy a significant amount of the vitamin content. While eating fresh, raw fruits and vegetables is the best way to preserve vitamin C, cooking methods matter. Boiling and prolonged storage of produce can lead to nutrient loss. Healthdirect.gov.au recommends lightly steaming vegetables to retain more of the vitamin.

Socioeconomic and Environmental Factors

An individual's environment and financial situation can greatly influence their access to vitamin C-rich foods. Low socioeconomic status and food insecurity often correlate with a diet lacking fresh produce, as it can be more expensive and less readily available than processed foods. For vulnerable populations, such as the elderly living alone or refugees, obtaining consistent fresh fruit and vegetables can be a major challenge, leading to long-term dietary deficiencies.

Comparison of Lifestyle Choices and Scurvy Risk


Lifestyle Factor	Scurvy Risk Level	Rationale
Balanced Diet (rich in fresh produce)	Low	Consistent intake of vitamin C meets daily requirements and replenishes body stores.
Heavy Smoking	High	Smoking depletes vitamin C and increases daily requirements significantly.
Chronic Alcoholism	High	Interferes with absorption and is often coupled with poor nutrition.
Restrictive Diet (e.g., allergies, eating disorder)	High	Limited food choices can exclude most vitamin C sources.
Reliance on Cooked/Processed Foods	Moderate to High	Vitamin C is destroyed by heat during cooking and processing.
Limited Food Access (low income)	Moderate to High	Financial and environmental barriers prevent access to fresh, vitamin C-rich produce.
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding with Poor Diet	High	The body's vitamin C needs increase significantly during these periods.

Conclusion: Reversing and Preventing Scurvy

While often viewed as a historical ailment, scurvy remains a relevant health concern driven by several modern lifestyle factors. A prolonged dietary insufficiency of vitamin C, exacerbated by habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse, is the root cause. Other contributing factors include restrictive eating patterns and socio-economic barriers to fresh food access. Fortunately, scurvy is easily preventable and treatable with proper dietary management and vitamin C supplementation. By prioritizing fresh fruits and vegetables, and addressing underlying lifestyle issues, individuals can effectively mitigate their risk. For those at high risk, or experiencing symptoms, consulting a healthcare professional is the best course of action to diagnose and treat the condition effectively. For comprehensive guidelines on nutritional requirements, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements is a valuable resource.

What Lifestyle Factors Contribute to Scurvy?

Poor Dietary Intake: The most significant lifestyle factor is consistently not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables.
Smoking: This habit actively depletes the body's vitamin C, raising the daily requirement for this nutrient.
Chronic Alcoholism: Heavy alcohol use impairs vitamin C absorption and often accompanies poor nutritional choices.
Restrictive Eating Patterns: Diets that intentionally or unintentionally exclude major sources of vitamin C, such as seen with certain eating disorders or food allergies, can lead to deficiency.
Socioeconomic Hardship: Lack of affordable access to fresh produce contributes to poor dietary intake and higher scurvy risk.
Infant Feeding Practices: Providing infants with cow's milk rather than breast milk or fortified formula can pose a risk.
Aging and Isolation: Elderly individuals, especially those who live alone, may experience poor appetite or limited access to fresh food, increasing their vulnerability.

Frequently Asked Questions

While severe scurvy is rare in developed countries with widespread access to fresh food, vitamin C deficiency still affects a notable portion of the population and can lead to scurvy in at-risk groups.

Yes, it is possible to get scurvy from an unbalanced diet. For example, relying heavily on processed and junk foods while consuming very few fresh fruits and vegetables can cause a vitamin C deficiency, even if you are not malnourished in terms of total calories.

Smoking reduces the amount of vitamin C the body can absorb from food and increases the rate at which the body uses the nutrient. Smokers require a higher daily intake to maintain sufficient vitamin C levels.

Some of the best sources include citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, berries, sweet peppers, broccoli, kiwi, tomatoes, and potatoes.

Older adults can be at risk due to poor appetite, dental issues that make eating fresh food difficult, limited access to groceries, or following restricted diets like the 'tea-and-toast' diet, which lacks vitamin C.

Yes, heavy alcohol use is a significant risk factor for scurvy. It often leads to poor nutrition and can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients like vitamin C.

Yes, vitamin C is sensitive to heat and water. Cooking methods like boiling can destroy a large portion of the vitamin, while methods such as steaming or microwaving retain more of the nutrient.