Scurvy is largely a historical disease but there are signs it’s making comeback

Yet doctors successful developed countries person precocious reported treating cases of scurvy, including Australian doctors who reported their findings contiguous successful the diary BMJ Case Reports.

What is scurvy?

Scurvy is simply a disease caused by a terrible deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is indispensable for the accumulation of collagen. This macromolecule helps support the wellness of skin, humor vessels, bones and connective tissue.

Without capable vitamin C, the assemblage cannot decently repair tissues, heal wounds, oregon combat infections. This tin pb to a scope of symptoms including:

-fatigue and weakness

-swollen, bleeding gums oregon escaped teeth

-joint and musculus symptom and tenderness

-bruising easily

-dry, unsmooth oregon discoloured tegument (reddish oregon purple spots owed to bleeding nether the skin)

-cuts and sores instrumentality longer to heal

-anaemia (a shortage of reddish humor cells, starring to further fatigue and weakness) accrued susceptibility to infections.

It historically affected sailors

Scurvy was communal from the 15th to 18th centuries, erstwhile naval sailors and different explorers lived connected rations oregon went without caller nutrient for agelong periods. You mightiness person heard immoderate of these milestones successful the past of the disease: – In 1497-1499, Vasco da Gama’s unit suffered severely from scurvy during their expedition to India, with a ample information of the unit dying from it.

-From the 16th to 18th centuries, scurvy was rampant among European navies and explorers, affecting notable figures specified arsenic Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake. It was considered 1 of the top threats to sailors’ wellness during agelong voyages.

-In 1747, British naval surgeon James Lind is thought to person conducted 1 of the archetypal objective trials, demonstrating that citrus effect could forestall and cure scurvy. However, it took respective decades for his findings to beryllium wide implemented.

-In 1795, the British Royal Navy officially adopted the signifier of providing citrus oregon lime foodstuff to sailors, dramatically reducing the fig of scurvy cases.

Joint and musculus pain, and tenderness are symptoms of scurvy (Source: Freepik)

Evidence of scurvy re-emerging

In the caller lawsuit report, doctors successful Western Australia reported treating a middle-aged antheral with the condition. In a abstracted lawsuit report, doctors successful Canada reported treating a 65-year aged woman.

Both patients presented with limb weakness and compromised skin, yet the doctors didn’t initially see scurvy. This was based connected the premise that determination is abundant vitamin C successful our modern nutrient supply, truthful deficiency should not occur.

On some occasions, attraction with precocious doses of vitamin C (1,000mg per time for astatine slightest 7 days) resulted successful improvements successful symptoms and yet a afloat recovery.

The authors of some lawsuit reports are acrophobic that if scurvy is near untreated, it could pb to inflamed humor vessels (vasculitis) and perchance origin fatal bleeding.

Last year, a large New South Wales infirmary undertook a illustration review, wherever diligent records are reviewed to reply probe questions.

This recovered vitamin C deficiency was common. More than 50% of patients who had their vitamin C levels tested had either a humble deficiency (29.9%) oregon important deficiency (24.5%). Deficiencies were much communal among patients from agrarian and little socioeconomic areas. Now clinicians are urged to see vitamin C deficiency and scurvy arsenic a imaginable diagnosis and impact the enactment of a dietitian.

Why mightiness scurvy beryllium re-emerging?

Sourcing and consuming nutritious foods with capable vitamin C is unluckily inactive an contented for immoderate people. Factors that summation the hazard of vitamin C deficiency include: -Poor diet: People with restricted diets – owed to poverty, nutrient insecurity oregon dietary choices – whitethorn not get capable vitamin C. This includes those who trust heavy connected processed, nutrient-poor foods alternatively than caller produce.

-Food deserts: In areas wherever entree to fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables is constricted (often referred to arsenic nutrient deserts), radical whitethorn unintentionally endure from a vitamin C deficiency. In immoderate parts of processing countries specified arsenic India, deficiency of entree to caller nutrient is recognised arsenic a hazard for scurvy.

-The cost-of-living crisis: With greater numbers of radical incapable to wage for caller produce, radical who bounds their intake of fruits and vegetables whitethorn make nutrient deficiencies, including scurvy.

-Weight nonaccomplishment procedures and medications: Restricted dietary intake owed to value nonaccomplishment country oregon value nonaccomplishment medications whitethorn pb to nutrient deficiencies, specified arsenic successful this lawsuit study of scurvy from Denmark.

-Mental unwellness and eating disorders: Conditions specified arsenic slump and anorexia nervosa tin pb to severely restricted diets, expanding the hazard of scurvy, specified arsenic successful this lawsuit study from 2020 successful Canada.

-Isolation: Older adults, particularly those who unrecorded unsocial oregon successful nursing homes, whitethorn person trouble preparing balanced meals with capable vitamin C.

-Certain aesculapian conditions: People with digestive disorders, malabsorption issues, oregon those connected restrictive aesculapian diets (due to terrible allergies oregon intolerances) tin make scurvy if they are incapable to sorb oregon devour capable vitamin C.

How overmuch vitamin C bash we need?

Australia’s dietary guidelines urge adults devour 45mg of vitamin C (higher if large oregon breastfeeding) each day. This is astir the magnitude recovered successful fractional an orangish oregon fractional a cupful of strawberries.

When much vitamin C is consumed than required, excess amounts permission the assemblage done urine. Signs of scurvy tin look arsenic aboriginal arsenic a period aft a regular intake of little than 10 mg of vitamin C. Eating vitamin C-rich foods – specified arsenic oranges, strawberries, kiwifruit, plums, pineapple, mango, capsicum, broccoli and Brussels sprouts – tin resoluteness symptoms wrong a fewer weeks.

Vitamin C is besides readily disposable arsenic a supplement if determination are reasons wherefore intake done nutrient whitethorn beryllium compromised. Typically, the supplements incorporate 1,000mg per tablet, and the recommended precocious bounds for regular Vitamin C intake is 2,000mg.