For hundreds of years, sailors on long ocean voyages suffered from a terrible disease called scurvy. Their gums bled. Their teeth fell out. Their skin bruised easily. Many died. Nobody understood what caused it. In the 1700s, a British navy doctor named James Lind made an important discovery. Eating citrus fruits like lemons and oranges could cure scurvy. His discovery saved thousands of lives, but no one knew exactly what was inside those fruits that made the difference. That mystery remained unsolved for nearly 200 years. On April 4, 1932, Professor C. Glen King and his team at the University of Pittsburgh finally isolated the substance. A chemical compound they called ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C. Isolating it meant they could study it in pure form. They learned that the human body cannot make Vitamin C on its own. We must get it from the food we eat. Without it, the body cannot produce collagen, a protein that holds skin, bones, and blood vessels together. That is why scurvy causes bleeding and weakness -- without Vitamin C, the body literally falls apart. Today, Vitamin C is one of the most studied nutrients in the world. Scientists have found that it supports the immune system, helps heal wounds. Acts as an antioxidant that protects cells from damage. A single orange contains about 70 milligrams of Vitamin C -- more than enough for a full day.