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Is Scurvy Making a Come-back?

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Remember scurvy? We learned about it in history books. Eighteenth century sailors’ teeth fell out because their gums were so unhealthy, and it was so severe that it killed many of them. Once it was realized that lemons and limes could come to the rescue, scurvy became a thing of the past, although it was not yet understood to be due to vitamin C deficiency. The person who discovered vitamin C was awarded a Nobel prize in 1937. 
Remember scurvy? We learned about it in history books. Eighteenth century sailors’ teeth fell out because their gums were so unhealthy, and it was so severe that it killed many of them. Once it was realized that lemons and limes could come to the rescue, scurvy became a thing of the past, although it was not yet understood to be due to vitamin C deficiency. The person who discovered vitamin C was awarded a Nobel prize in 1937. 

 

So it was a surprise to many to hear that scurvy was recently found in someone in Ontario!

 

How could a disease of sailors, caused by having absolutely no access to fresh fruits and vegetables, be creeping back into modern society? It’s partly due to how we process our foods: ultra-processed foods are low on nutrition. “Fresh” fruits and vegetables start losing vitamin C from the moment they are picked, and so may have little vitamin C left by the time they get to the shelves of your local store.

 

The woman in Ontario who was found to have scurvy was written up in a medical journal, as a shout-out to medical doctors to consider the possibility of scurvy in their patients. This woman had lived mainly on tinned tuna, tinned soups, white bread and processed cheese, with little or no fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

Fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t always part of everyone’s diet: some people don’t realize how important they are. But they don’t keep as long as convenience foods, and as food prices rise, they may be sacrificed. Frozen or freeze-dried foods can make a reasonable substitute, as vitamin C levels deteriorate more slowly in colder temperatures.

 

Why do we need to consume vitamin C? Because we can’t make it for ourselves! The vast majority of creatures make vitamin C, but human beings, monkeys, apes and guinea pigs can’t make it in their bodies. It is thought that we used to make it but lost the ability to do so somewhere in our evolutionary history. Nor can we store the vitamin C that we eat, so we need to make sure we consume it regularly. Monkeys, apes and guinea pigs eat a lot of vitamin C-containing fruits and greens every day, but many humans don’t.

 

Why do we need vitamin C?

  • It helps our immune systems. We all do well with a daily dose, to stay healthy. You may recall intravenous vitamin C being used to treat people with Covid.

  • It is essential for making collagen, a connective tissue that gives structure and strength to our bodies. It’s necessary for our tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and the shock-absorbing discs in our spines, as well as our bones, blood vessels and gut.

  • It maintains healthy skin, reduces the formation of wrinkles, and is critical for wound healing.

  • It contributes to eye health, protecting and repairing the cornea, and slowing the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration.

  • As an anti-oxidant, it protects us from free radical damage that causes inflammation and harms our tissues.

  • It helps you absorb and store iron from your foods and supplements.

 

All of these functions depend on vitamin C in our daily diet or by supplementation. And you may notice that these problems are all things that are associated with aging!

 

What happens if we don’t consume vitamin C? We may heal more slowly, and get sick more often, and notice bleeding gums or bruising. In fact, if we are really deficient, bleeding gums, bruising and poor wound healing are the first signs of scurvy. Historically, in those sailors, joints would swell, they became anemic and exhausted, old scars opened up, teeth loosened and fell out, and they died of it.

 

Because it has become so rare in a society where we all have access to plenty of good foods, doctors stopped thinking about scurvy as a potential diagnosis. This is why it was published in a recent medical journal.

 

What happens if we take excess vitamin C? Because it is water soluble, if you take more than you need, you just excrete it in your urine: there is no danger of it building up in your tissues and causing problems. If you take significantly larger doses, vitamin C causes diarrhea: this is called your “bowel tolerance” for obvious reasons. The amount needed to trigger diarrhea varies significantly from person to person, but is generally between 3,000mg (3g) and 15,000 mg (15g) a day.

 

Vitamin C helps keep you strong and well, and it is hard to overdo it. It is anti-aging, keeps skin healthier and protects your eyes, gums and joints. 500mg a day is a good supportive dose, in addition to a heathy diet.


Here is a list of foods that are high in vitamin C when fresh or frozen:

  • Papaya

  • Bell Peppers

  • Broccoli

  • Brussel Sprouts

  • Strawberries

  • Pineapple

  • Oranges and other citrus fruits

  • Kiwi

  • Cantaloupe

  • Cauliflower

  • Kale

  • Cabbage

  • Bok Choy

  • Tomato

  • Parsley

  • Turnip Greens, Beet Greens & Mustard Greens

  • Raspberries

  • Swiss Chard


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Dr. Ruth Anne Baron . BSc (Hons), ND

1975 Avenue Rd, 2nd Floor

North York, ON M5M 4A1

Dr. Penny Seth-Smith, BSc (Hons), ND

​​

2518 Blackwood Street

Victoria, B.C V8T3W1

info@shinehealthproject.com

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