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( Scurvy)
Scurvy (N.Lat. scorbutus) is a deficiency disease. Scurvy results from insufficient intake of vitamin C, which is required for correct collagen synthesis in humans. The scientific name of vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus. Scurvy leads to the formation of spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from all mucous membranes. The spots are most abundant on the thighs and legs, and a person with the ailment looks pale, feels depressed, and is partially immobilized. In advanced scurvy there are open, suppurating wounds and loss of teeth. Scurvy was at one time common among sailors, pirates and others aboard ships at sea longer than perishable fruits and vegetables could be stored, and by soldiers similarly separated from these foods for extended periods. It was described by Hippocrates (c. 460 BC–c. 380 BC). Herbal cures for scurvy have been known in many native cultures since prehistory. In 1536, the French explorer Jacques Cartier, exploring the St. Lawrence River, used the local natives' knowledge to save his men who were dying of scurvy. He boiled the needles of the arbor vitae tree (Eastern White Cedar) to make a tea that was later shown to contain 50 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.[1][2] Such treatments were not available aboard ship, where the disease was most common. It was a Scottish surgeon in the British Royal Navy, James Lind who first proved it could be treated with citrus fruit in experiments he described in his 1753 book, A Treatise of the Scurvy. In infants, scurvy is sometimes referred to as Barlow's disease, named after Sir Thomas Barlow,[3] a British physician who described it. (N.B. Barlow's disease may also refer to mitral valve prolapse.) Other eponyms include Moeller's disease and Cheadle's disease. Untreated scurvy is invariably fatal. Since all that is required for a full recovery is the resumption of normal vitamin C intake, death from scurvy is rare in modern times.
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You are Closer to Being Vitamin C Deficient Than You Think by Dr. Randy Wysong
Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with your diet. You prepare most of your meals at home, don’t eat much junk food and aren’t a fast food eater only rarely. You think vitamins are pretty much nonsense—particularly since you are eating so...
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