Final answer:
Eijkman's work revolutionized the way scientists thought about diseases by establishing the connection between diet and disease.
Step-by-step explanation:
Eijkman's work revolutionized the way scientists thought about diseases by helping establish the connection between diet and disease. In the late 19th century, Eijkman conducted experiments on chickens and discovered that a diet lacking in a specific nutrient, which we now know as thiamine (vitamin B1), resulted in a disease called beriberi.
This discovery challenged the prevailing belief that diseases were caused by external factors like germs or toxins. Eijkman's work paved the way for the understanding that certain diseases are caused by nutritional deficiencies, shifting the focus from solely infectious agents to a more comprehensive view of disease development.