Posted on 12/02/2016 11:35:48 PM PST by nickcarraway
DOCTORS have been surprised by an outbreak of SCURVY in Sydney.
The salty sea dog condition - often caught by sailors on long voyages because of a lack of vitamin C - has been found to be making a surprising comeback Down Under.
Research by Sydney's Westmead Hospital found that patients suffering from wounds that refused to heal often had scurvy because of generally poor dietary habits.
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C - found in citrus fruits like oranges and limes - early symptoms include weakness, feeling tired, curly hair, and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, and bleeding from the skin may occur.
As scurvy worsens there can be poor wound healing, personality changes, and finally death from infection or bleeding.
Common foods which are high in vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, red and green peppers, broccoli, kiwi fruit and grapefruit.
Historically sailors on long voyages were prone to scurvy because of a lack of access to vitamin C rich provisions. The slang term used in the US for a British person - limey - originated in the mid 1800s because of the Royal Navy's scurvy prevention measure of adding lime or lemon to the sailor's daily ration.
Professor Jenny Gunton, who heads the Centre for Diabetes, Obesity and Endocrinology research at The Westmead Institute, said several of her patients at Westmead Hospital with long-running unhealed wounds were cured by a simple course of vitamin C.
She said: “When I asked about their diet, one person was eating little or no fresh fruit and vegetables, but the rest ate fair amounts of vegetables; they were simply over-cooking them, which destroys the vitamin C.
The irony, she said, is that it is possible for patients to have scurvy, even when they are overweight or obese.
She said: “It highlights a danger that you can consume plenty of calories, yet not receive enough nutrients.
“While diabetes is not traditionally a risk factor for vitamin C deficiency, the research suggests that clinicians should be alert to the potential problem.
“Particularly if their patients present with unhealed ulcers, easy bruising or gum bleeding without obvious cause.“
A research paper by prof Gunton, just published in the international journal Diabetic Medicine, concluded that some diabetes patients should be tested for vitamin C deficiency.
Her paper reported there was no predominant social pattern to the incidence of scurvy and that patients with poor diets appeared to be from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
Prof Gunton said: “This result suggests that despite the large amount of dietary advice readily available to the community, there are still plenty of people - from all walks of life - who are not getting the messages.
“Human bodies cannot synthesise vitamin C, so we must eat foods containing it.”
I guess that explains my hair! LOL
How bleeding STUPID are these people who have it?
Don't they teach about this is schools anymore?
Having diagnosed at least half a dozen cases of scurvy over the years I wouldn’t say they are dumb. Just their diet is. It’s not like they’re Bernie voters! However my impression is most of my fellow physicians aren’t good at recognizing it.
We learned all about scurvy in both science and history glasses in grammar school!
For all we know the only scurvy-victims they are registering are all refugees.
[...] there are still plenty of people - from all walks of life [e.g.: refugees from Pakistan, refugees from India, boat-people from Malaysia, asylum-seekers from Indonesia, etc.] - who are not getting the messages.
Regards,
Reasons are:
1. Junk/fast food, processed food consumption. Often little time, so it’s convenient.
2. Diabetics are particularly at risk but they often limit their consumption of fresh fruit, *worrying* about raising their blood glucose levels.
3. Overcooking fresh veggies.
In most cases, vit c deficiency can be solved by taking a vit c tablet daily combined with a healthy diet. It’s that simple if people get the message & pay attention to their health.
Theodore Dalrymple found scurvy and other nutrient-deficiency diseases among the white underclass in Britain. He said many of them were healthy only when they were in jail!
That’s interesting.
Can’t say the group you mention in Britain applies to Australia. We haven’t done a full study in Australia about affected, specific demographics. Not that I’m aware of so far. A full study is can be expensive too. Though reasons I mentioned before are key ones in Australia, and pretty much apply overall.
The limes being purchased for the Limeys were the cheap ones and didn’t stop the disease. Not all limes have the same amount of vitamin C content quality.
Limes are great, but I think Lemons are better.
Squeeze 1/2 or full a lemon in water every morning will go a long way in terms of health.
True. The junk-food factor is pretty much reflective of the underclass (or college students), while the other items you mention are more of the "good intentions but poor application" sort.
Australia introduced Vegemite to overcome Vitamin B deficiencies. Maybe the government should start a program to promote the use of Emergen-C. One packet a day would boost everyone right up.
>>>”Australia introduced Vegemite to overcome Vitamin B deficiencies.”<<<
You reminded me of a tv commercial about vegemite from time immemorial: ‘ we’re happy little vegemites...’ It’s an acquired taste and spread it on toast sparingly.
The Brits actually have an almost equivalent “Marmite” or even “Bovril”. Vegemite has a sharper, more intense taste than Marmite. Nowadays there’s salt reduced vegemite, but still includes vit B6 & B12. I wouldn’t go on a vegemite diet to get those vitamins though.
>>>”Maybe the government should start a program to promote the use of Emergen-C. One packet a day would boost everyone right up.”<<<
Best Vitamin C supplement (tablet) is a slow-release one. Otherwise it’d go thru the body & out very quickly.
A friend in Australia sent me some Vegemite once (before it was readily available in the U.S.). I liked it pretty well on toast with an egg, because I like salt on my eggs.
Haha, yep, that’s a great combination!
Vitamins, protein, and fiber!
You liked it? Yikes! I tried it once.It looks like the goo you'd scrape from a car's oil pan...and tastes like it too.
To each his own,I guess!
Must have outsourced the medical research to the Clinton Foundation. /sarc.
I thought it tasted like beef soup concentrate: not something I’d generally eat with a spoon, but spread on toast it was just salty and faintly brown-tasting.
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