United States: Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is very important for good health. Not eating enough fresh food can ultimately lead to serious health problems like scurvy, which occurs when we don’t have enough vitamin C.
Scurvy was common among sailors already in the 18th century who basically didn’t have fresh food during long sea voyages. But this can still happen today! Recently, a 65 -year -old woman was hospitalized for eating canned soup and fish without fresh fruits or vegetables. This indicates how important it is to include fresh products in our diet!
Approximately 5.3 percent of the U.S. population suffers from vitamin C deficiency. The analysis also shows that the incidence of scurvy is increasing in the country. Now we know that it’s a disease called scurvy, but what exactly is it and what should we pay most attention to? Here’s what you need to know.
What is scurvy?
Yahoo Life wrote that the digestive condition from too little vitamin C, according to the U.S National Library of Medicine is scurvy. Its main component is Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) as well as collagen which is important in contributing to the flexibility of connective tissues in the body rages from the skin to blood vessels even bones according to Scott Keatley RD, registered dietitian and co-owner Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. ‘”If the body is unable to obtain sufficient vitamin C then it implies that collagens formation and healing is compromised, which is not good news.”
Symptoms of Scurvy
Here are two signs that can occur when you have scurvy. “The signs of scurvy first appear as general weakness of the body, exhaustion and irritability,” says Keathley. “In the early stages, severe symptoms include swelling, bleeding gums, arthritis, ecchymoses, dry skin, and slow healing.”
At its peak, scurvy can progress to anemia and internal bleeding, Keathley notes. It can also be severe enough to cause death if left untreated.
Why is scurvy still around?
It is a rarity in the United States, but the condition can actually occur. “Scurvy refers to sailors who could not get fruits and vegetables in their diet in the past,” explains Dr. Mehruba Anwar Parris, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Medical Toxicologist at New Jersey Poison Control Centre. But now, if senior people don’t receive necessary nutrients, they are at risk, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Scurvy mostly happens today due to the poor dietary habits Claudia Castaneda Tinoco a registered dietitian at New York- Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center tell the yahoo life and since our bodies don’t produce vitamin C we have to get it from our diet, and she explains. “If you’re not eating enough vitamin C rich foods like the fruits and vegetables or if your body could be at risk.”
Scurvy can also happen in the people who have extremely limited diet due to food access issues, restrictive diets of the conditions like the alcoholism or eating disorders Keately says. Additionally, diets lacking in diversity or heavily reliant on the processed foods, which typically don’t contain the vitamin C, can be a factor, “ he says.