Tackle scurvy with Vit C

When Europeans first began sea voyages in the 15the century, a strange malady often sickened and killed crews. The sailors lacked energy, bleeding gums, loose teeth, swelling of the limbs, large purple marks on the skin (caused by bleeding into muscles), shortness of breath, heart palpitations

They also developed jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes), fever, convulsions, and, sad to say, many of them died. Their disease was named scurvy, and it was caused by the depletion of Vitamin C from their bodies because of their limited diets aboard ship.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that it cannot be stored in the fat cells of the body. It needs to be ingested every day. After about 30 days, any vitamin C stored in the body is used up. Fresh foods such as fruits that contain vitamin C were not available to the sailors, as the typical seaman’s diet consisted exclusively of cured, salted meat and hard biscuits.

No one, however, suspected that nutrition was the cause of scurvy. It was believed to be an infection passed from person to person, and one from which almost no one recovered. All of their symptoms were the result of a breakdown in the collagen in their bodies, it turned out.

Vitamin C is essential to the production of collagen, the connective tissue that holds together our skin, bones, muscles, organs, and nervous systems. It also helps the body’s cells to use other essential vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin C-rich foods include potatoes, pawpaw, peaches, guava, melon, spinach and tomatoes.

These foods are common ways that individuals introduce vitamin C into their regular diets. Think about how to use more fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals to benefit from some of the specific roles that vitamin C plays in developing a healthy body and promoting a long and healthy life