09-04-2025
How common is scurvy? Robbie Williams diagnosed with '17th-century disease'
Like Robbie Williams, you may think of scurvy as a "17th-century pirate disease" – certainly nothing from this millennium (ahem). But, as the 51-year-old singer found out, it isn't just the scourge of sailors.
Speaking to The Mirror, he explained how he had shed two stone while taking medication, which he has likened to weight-loss drug Ozempic, and how it led to the rare diagnosis.
"I'd stopped eating and I wasn't getting nutrients," he said, describing his reduced vitamin C intake. "I was sad, I was anxious, I was depressed."
The Angels hitmaker explained how this bout of "ill health" caused him concern. "It's been about 10 years... I thought I was at the other end of the arc. I thought this was the end of my story, and that I would just go walking into this marvellous wonderland. So for it to return was just confusing."
Scurvy is caused when you don't have enough vitamin C in your diet. You may be more at risk if you don't consume fresh fruits or vegetables, you eat little food, you smoke or you have a long-term dependency on drugs or alcohol. It most commonly affects babies, children and older people.
According to the NHS, symptoms include fatigue and feeling weak, joint and/or muscle pain, feeling irritable or sad, and skin that bruises easily. In some cases, teeth can fall out as a result of swollen, bleeding gums.
Although it was very prolific between the 16th and 18th centuries, with an estimated two million sailors having died from the disease, it is incredibly rare these days, owing to how readily available certain foods are and how varied our diets are these days.
That said, there have been various reports of the disease in recent years, indicating that a vitamin C deficiency may be more prevalent than we might assume.
An article published in the Oxford Academic journal examined the Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (2003–05), which offered a representative sample of the low-income/materially deprived UK population. It estimated that 25% of men and 16% of women in the low-income/materially deprived population had plasma vitamin C concentrations indicative of deficiency, and a further fifth of the population had levels in the depleted range.
Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes
Other fruits, such as strawberries and blackcurrants
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Potatoes
Supplements
According to the NHS, adults aged 19-64 need around 40mg of vitamin C a day. Kids, meanwhile, need around 15mg daily.
You should avoid consuming too much vitamin C, though, as this may lead to diarrhoea, stomach cramps and/or flatulence.
Read more about health, food and nutrition:
5 ways to do the Mediterranean diet for less (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Six health benefits of asparagus (and why it makes your wee smell) (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
Would you pay £180 for strawberries? Inside the TikTok trend of expensive food (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
