Robbie Williams says he was diagnosed with scurvy earlier this year

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — Singer Robbie Williams has revealed that he was diagnosed with scurvy, a vitamin deficiency, earlier this year.

Williams, 51, shared his health update in an interview with the Mirror published Monday, saying that he learned of his diagnosis after he’d been struggling with his mental health in recent months.

“The year started with some ill mental health, which I haven’t had for a very, very long time,” he said, adding that he was feeling “sad, I was anxious, I was depressed.”

The “Take That” singer told the publication that he’d first been diagnosed with depression in his 20s and it had been some time since he’d battled it.

“I thought I was at the other end of the arc,” he said. “So for it to return was just confusing.”

Williams began to suspect that his diet could be a contributing factor in how he was feeling.

“I’d stopped eating and I wasn’t getting nutrients,” he said, adding that he was later diagnosed with scurvy, which he described as a “17th century pirate disease.”

Scurvy is a serious vitamin C deficiency and is caused by a lack of the nutrient in one’s diet, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The condition is rare in the US because of the country’s nutrient-rich diet, and is usually seen in countries where people are malnourished.

After addressing changes in his diet, Williams said, his health and depression became manageable.

“The most important thing is for yourself to be okay,” he said.

Williams is about to kick off a tour in the UK, Ireland and Europe beginning in May and going through the summer. His recent biographical musical drama “A Better Man,” released last year, was nominated for an Oscar for best visual effects.

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