Tag: Joseph goldberger

In the early 1900s, pellagra was an epidemic in the American South, causing an estimated 100,000 deaths over four decades. Medical authorities initially believed it was an infectious disease, but U.S. Public Health Service physician Joseph Goldberger challenged this consensus by linking the illness to a surprising cause: diet.

Between 1906 and 1940, over 3 million Americans contracted pellagra, a severe niacin deficiency disease that became an epidemic in the rural South. During the early 1900s, this mysterious illness caused widespread suffering and death, baffling doctors who initially mistook it for an infectious disease.

In the early 20th century, pellagra, a devastating disease, caused widespread suffering and death, especially across the American South. The eventual cure, discovered through groundbreaking dietary research, was the administration of niacin, also known as vitamin B3.

The American South experienced a devastating pellagra epidemic in the early 1900s, with over 3 million reported cases and 100,000 deaths between 1906 and 1940. Understanding why did pellagra erupt requires examining nutritional deficiencies linked to socioeconomic factors and dietary changes.

In the early 20th century, pellagra epidemics ravaged the American South, and a staggering 40% death rate was seen in some afflicted populations. Before the nutritional link was confirmed, people debated **what four things did people think caused pellagra**, ranging from tainted corn to infectious agents. This led to a desperate and often misdirected search for a cure that would ultimately be proven wrong by a groundbreaking doctor.