The history of ascorbic acid (or vitamin C) as a food additive began with the identification of vitamin C deficiency, also known as scurvy.
A British naval surgeon named James Lind was the first to identify the benefits that citrus could have for people suffering from vitamin C deficiency. He documented the connection between vitamin C and scurvy around 1747. At this point in history, deficiency in vitamin C was known to kill thousands of British sailors each year.