What is Scurvy?

About Scurvy:

• It is a disease caused by a significant lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in your diet.
• Scurvy has been known since ancient Greek and Egyptian times.
• Causes:
  • Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C. It needs to come from external food sources, especially fruits and vegetables or fortified foods.
  • Thus, scurvy is caused by not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Also, cooking destroys some of the vitamin C found in food.
• Symptoms:
  • It can include anemia, exhaustion, spontaneous bleeding, limb pain, swelling, and sometimes ulceration of the gums and loss of teeth.
  • It can be fatal if left untreated.
• Treatment: It is treatable with oral or intravenous vitamin C supplements.

Importance of Vitamin C:

• It’s responsible for the development, growth, and healing of your skin, bones, and connective tissue.
• In addition, you need vitamin C for your blood vessels to function properly. 
• Vitamin C helps maintain your teeth and gums.
• It helps your body absorb iron, which it needs to make red blood cells.
• Vitamin C also helps heal burns and other wounds.
• Vitamin C is an antioxidant, meaning it protects your cells against damage from free radicals. 
  • Free radicals are byproducts of normal cell activity which participate in chemical reactions within cells. Some of these reactions can cause damage over your lifetime.

Q1: What are Vitamins?

Vitamins are organic compounds that people need in small quantities. Each has a different role in maintaining health and bodily function. Each organism has different vitamin requirements. For example, humans need to get vitamin C from their diets — while dogs can produce all the vitamin C that they need.

News: 15th Century Disease ‘Scurvy’ Is Making A Comeback, Say Canadian Doctors

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