What is the Pirate Disease Vitamin C, and How Did It Plague Sailors?
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5 min read
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, it is estimated that scurvy, the "pirate disease," killed more than 2 million sailors, often decimating entire ship crews during long voyages. This devastating illness was not caused by a curse or poor sanitation, but by a simple lack of a vital nutrient: vitamin C.
