Why does chronic alcoholism sometimes causes scurvy?
Deficiency diseases go hand in hand with alcoholism. Alcohol not only affects the ability of the body to absorb nutrients (in this case, Vitamin C), it also reduces the effectiveness of the organs and enzymes that employ them for various purposes. Combine that with an alcoholic’s tendency to be careless about diet, and all sorts of deficiency diseases are a foregone conclusion. Even vitamin supplements won’t help if they can’t be properly absorbed and utilized.
