Is scurvy making a comeback?
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Do you know how hard it is to get scurvy? You have to eat, like, a singular fruit or vegetable every day to prevent it.
—Jess Baker, MS
Clinically significant vitamin C deficiency has been rare in the US for decades. But severely restricted intake among those on GLP-1 receptor agonists may be creating the right conditions for it to reappear.
GLP-1s work in part by suppressing appetite and slowing gastric emptying, but some patients experience:
Singer Robbie Williams recently told The Mirror he was diagnosed with scurvy after taking a GLP-1. "I’d stopped eating and I wasn’t getting nutrients," he said. []
Why GLP-1s could set the stage for scurvy
A 2025 review published in the BMJ found that the appetite-suppressing properties of GLP-1s can contribute to vitamin deficiencies. []
As nutritionist Jess Baker, MS, noted in an Instagram Reel, scurvy typically requires extremely low vitamin C intake. “Do you know how hard it is to get scurvy? You have to eat, like, a singular fruit or vegetable every day to prevent it,” she said.
But that threshold may be easier to cross when patients are:
Eating very small amounts of food
Defaulting to ultra-processed “safe” foods
Avoiding fruits and vegetables due to GI intolerance
Where clinicians can intervene early
Scurvy is just one of the conditions linked to nutrient deficiencies that patients on GLP-1s may be at risk for. If you're prescribing a GLP-1, here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to effective dietary counseling.
1. Normalize the risk without overstating it
Avoid alarmism and emphasize preventability. You can say something like, “These medications can make it harder to eat enough variety. That can sometimes lead to vitamin deficiencies if we’re not careful.”
2. Screen for ‘low-variety eating’
Simple questions can surface risk quickly:
“How many servings of fruits and vegetables are you getting most days?”
“Are there foods you’ve stopped tolerating?”
“What does a typical day of eating look like now vs before?”
Patient behavior red flags
Reliance on a few “safe” foods
Minimal fresh produce
Skipping meals entirely
3. Offer concrete, low-volume vitamin C strategies
Here’s how you can advise your patients to get enough vitamin C (75 mcg), according to Baker:
1 cup of broccoli
1 cup of pineapple
1/2 bell pepper
1 and 1/2 oranges
1 cup strawberries
1 serving of fortified breakfast cereal
1 serving of fortified juice
4. Consider supplementation when intake is unreliable
A low-dose daily vitamin C supplement is reasonable and safe in most cases. And while scurvy is the headline, remember to think broadly: B12, iron, folate, vitamin D, and protein may also be at risk.
Related: The forgotten gut supplement GLP-1 prescribers are suddenly obsessed with5. Bring in a dietitian early—not as a last resort
Baker’s advice is clinically sound: Patients don’t need to stop GLP-1s, but they do need structured nutritional support.
Position referral as part of routine care: “This is standard for patients on these medications. We want to protect your nutrition while we treat your weight and metabolic goals.”
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