Scurvy or vitamin C deficiency, was once a prevalent disease most commonly associated with the British sailors who ate limes in order to prevent the debilitating disease that affects the bones and joints.  While Scurvy is not as common now as it was back in the days of the old British Royal Navy, research now suggests that vitamin C deficiency can lead to a number of other health problems.  A recent study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that reduced levels of vitamin C in the body can dramatically increase the risk for stroke.  A group of researchers studied the health records of over 20,000 men and women to determine the effect of increased vitamin C intake on their risk for stroke.  Over a four year period, there were a total of 448 strokes among all of the subjects.  However, those with the highest vitamin C intake had an astonishing 42% lower risk of stroke than those with the lowest intake levels.  In conclusion, the researchers stated " Plasma vitamin C concentrations may serve as biological markers of lifestyle or other factors associated with reduced stroke risk and may be useful in identifying those at high risk of stroke."  While eating lime after lime like the British sailors may not sound appealing, go ahead and load up on the other citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits.  After all, as the latest research suggests, it could save your life!