Scurvy, a disease often associated with eighteenth-century seafarers, is making a resurgence in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Medical research has identified a clear culprit: growing economic inequality.

Scurvy results from a deficiency in vitamin C, which is found in fruits and vegetables, specifically citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit, as well as cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach. In the United States, scurvy rates among children have more than tripled in recent years, from 8.2 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 26.7 per 100,000 in 2020, according to a July 2024 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which analyzed data from over 19 million pediatric patients.

The study found that 36.5% of pediatric patients with scurvy were from the lowest income quartile, compared to 29.2% of the pediatric population. Similarly, 56.5% of patients with scurvy were on Medicaid, compared to 48.3% of all inpatients.