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It’s often said that life goes full circle, with issues considered safely consigned to history reappearing, seemingly out of the blue. However, when a closer look is taken, the same underlying cause is all too easy to see, even if the circumstances appear very different. And it’s one of these we’re going to talk about this week. It’s something we never expected to be writing about but, sadly, is becoming increasingly common. Severe Vitamin C deficiency, also known as Scurvy. 
 
 
Like us, you probably learned about Scurvy during history lessons at school in connection with the early explorers to the “New World” – or America, as it’s now known (!). However, it was first noticed long before this in Ancient Egypt and is one of the reasons why early seafaring exploration was such a dangerous pursuit. And that’s without rudimentary maps – “here be dragons” (!) – basic navigation and bad weather, let alone the dangers faced on arrival… 
 
It took many decades and deaths of sailors – with some estimates putting the figures at millions of preventable deaths – before the cause and, most importantly, simple solution was identified. In fact, the use of citrus fruit – particularly lemons and limes – by the British Navy in the eighteenth century to provide the necessary Vitamin C, is the reason that English people are still referred to as “Limeys” by Americans. Ah, now the choice of picture makes sense! 
 
So, why is Scurvy making a comeback? 
 
Well, once again, it’s all down to poor nutrition. A lack of fresh fruit, vegetables and salad in the diet. This may simply be down to a lack of awareness of their importance in a healthy diet. Perhaps the habit of making fruit and veg an important – and tasty (!) – part of every meal was never established in early years. Or the way they were prepared / cooked was less than appetising (!). Who hasn’t had the “delights” of overcooked “grey” vegetables? Maybe they were put off by very sour under ripe fruit or, at the other extreme, slightly fermenting over ripe fruit. It’s little wonder that so many people are put off them at an early age and then, in later years, find it hard to see them as an appetising and enjoyable part of their diet. 
 
However, another factor is increasingly coming into play. An economic one, the cost of food. With cheaper processed and ready meals taking up more and more room on Supermarket shelves, it’s easy for people to go for this alternative. This is particularly with them being badged as “time saving” – just pop them in the microwave and have a meal ready in minutes. Unfortunately, processed and ready meals are very different to their home cooked cousins, not least in nutritional values. 
 
Which brings us on to a quirk of evolution. Humans are one of the few animals whose bodies can’t make Vitamin C. Added to this, with it being a water soluble Vitamin, it can’t be stored in the body either. This is why it’s so important for fresh fruit and veg to be an integral part of our daily diet to provide the necessary amounts. And the good news is that, not only do they provide Vitamin C, but a host of other nutrients needed to maintain good health. 
 
Finally, as with many other nutritional deficiencies, the early symptoms of Scurvy tend to be generalised, making them easy to overlook or misdiagnose. Bruising and easy bleeding, fatigue, muscular pain, low energy, Depression. 
 
And here’s one other issue Scurvy is being linked with, although it isn’t immediately obvious. Obesity. While it doesn’t tend to be mentioned very often one cause of overeating, and so Obesity, is poor quality food. This is because feeling full is linked to the nutritional content of food. It’s why poorer quality and processed food doesn’t leave us feeling full for long, so we then eat more. And more. And more. By a cruel twist of fate, if the person then has a gastric bypass or other surgery to help encourage weight loss, by reducing the size of the Stomach, this can then make matters worse by limiting the ability to absorb all the nutrients they need… 
And, if you think this doesn’t apply to you, think again. 
 
Nutritional deficiencies are now being linked to many health conditions and, if you’re deficient in one nutrient, it’s likely you’ll be so in many others too. While particular foods may be high in particular nutrients, they each contain a broad range of minerals, vitamins and phyto nutrients along with proteins, fats and carbohydrates. This is why eating the broadest possible range of foods is so important. 
So, we’re sure you can see where we’re going with this (!). 
 
Once again, it’s all down to a little commonsense and awareness. Our bodies are designed to do best on a wholefood diet high in fruit, vegetables and salad. Or, put another way, eating the rainbow every day. While it may involve a little pre planning, both in the weekly shop – and in freezing excess produce while it’s in season and so cheaper for use later in the year – a healthy and nutritious diet does not need to be prohibitive both in terms of cost and time to produce. 
 
As always, the choice is yours. 
 
 
Tagged as: Diet, Health, Lifestyle
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