Editing Scurvy (section)

== Cause ==
Scurvy, including subclinical scurvy, is caused by a deficiency of dietary vitamin C since humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C. Provided the diet contains sufficient vitamin C, the lack of working [[L-gulonolactone oxidase]] (GULO) enzyme has no significance. In modern Western societies, scurvy is rarely present in adults, although infants and elderly people are affected.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Hampl JS, Taylor CA, Johnston CS |title=Vitamin C deficiency and depletion in the United States: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 to 1994 |journal=American Journal of Public Health |volume=94 |issue=5 |pages=870–5 |year=2004 |pmid=15117714 |pmc=1448351 |doi= 10.2105/AJPH.94.5.870}}</ref> Virtually all commercially available baby formulas contain added vitamin C, preventing infantile scurvy. Human [[breast milk]] contains sufficient vitamin C if the mother has an adequate intake. Commercial milk is [[pasteurization|pasteurized]], a heating process that destroys the natural vitamin C content of the milk.<ref name="Distillations"/>

Scurvy is one of the accompanying diseases of [[malnutrition]] (other such micronutrient deficiencies are [[beriberi]] and [[pellagra]]) and thus is still widespread in areas of the world dependent on external food aid.<ref>{{cite report | id=MIP/01/APR.SDE.3 | series= Meeting of Interested Parties: Geneva, 18 to 29 June 2001 |title=Area of work: nutrition. Progress report 2000 |url=https://www.who.int//mipfiles/2299/MIP_01_APR_SDE_3.en.pdf |date=4 June 2001 |publisher=[[World Health Organization]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216095355/http://www.who.int//mipfiles/2299/MIP_01_APR_SDE_3.en.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2006 }}</ref> Although rare, there are also documented cases of scurvy due to poor dietary choices by people living in industrialized nations.<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite journal |vauthors=Davies IJ, Temperley JM | title= A case of scurvy in a student | journal = Postgraduate Medical Journal | year= 1967 |volume = 43 | issue = 502 | pages = 549–50|pmid= 6074157 | pmc=2466190 | doi=10.1136/pgmj.43.502.539 }}|{{cite journal |vauthors=Sthoeger ZM, Sthoeger D |title=[Scurvy from self-imposed diet] |language=he |journal=Harefuah |volume=120 |issue=6 |pages=332–3 |year=1991 |pmid=1879769 }}|{{cite journal |vauthors=Ellis CN, Vanderveen EE, Rasmussen JE |title=Scurvy. A case caused by peculiar dietary habits |journal=Archives of Dermatology |volume=120 |issue=9 |pages=1212–4 |year=1984 |pmid=6476860 |doi= 10.1001/archderm.120.9.1212}}|{{cite journal |vauthors=McKenna KE, Dawson JF |title=Scurvy occurring in a teenager |journal=Clinical and Experimental Dermatology |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=75–7 |year=1993 |pmid=8440062 |doi= 10.1111/j.1365-2230.1993.tb00976.x|s2cid=42245389 }}}}</ref><ref name="HPM 2016-08-15">{{cite news |last=Feibel |first=Carrie |url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2016/08/15/162200/the-return-of-scurvy-houston-neurologist-diagnoses-hundreds-of-patients-with-vitamin-deficiencies/ |title=The Return of Scurvy? Houston Neurologist Diagnoses Hundreds of Patients with Vitamin Deficiencies |work=Houston Public Media |publisher=University of Houston |date=15 August 2016 |access-date=2016-08-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816121128/http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2016/08/15/162200/the-return-of-scurvy-houston-neurologist-diagnoses-hundreds-of-patients-with-vitamin-deficiencies/ |archive-date=16 August 2016 }}</ref>