Scurvy is a disease that is caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin C in your diet. This disease can be life-threatening if not treated. While scurvy is not as common as it once was, it can occur if you do not get enough vitamin C in your diet. Learning more about the disease, as well as what foods are high in this important vitamin, can help prevent it.
Scurvy Definition
The Harvard School of Public Health reports that between the years 1500 and 1800, two million sailors perished from a severe lack of vitamin C -- which is now called scurvy. The reason all these sailors developed scurvy was because they were forced to consume only the rations on ships, which did not include fruits and vegetables. Scurvy can cause numerous symptoms including purple and swollen gums, smelly breath, weakness, fatigue, bone pain, skin rashes, easy bruising and dry mouth. If not treated, scurvy eventually leads to fever, convulsions and death.
Importance of Vitamin C
Your body needs vitamin C to produce collagen, a substance essential to the health of your skin, bones, teeth, gums and blood vessels. Vitamin C is also important for wound healing and the prevention of infections. The Institute of Medicine recommends that adult males obtain 90 mg of vitamin C each day and adult females 75 mg.
Foods Rich in Vitamin C
Eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure that you get the amount of vitamin C you need. Certain fruits and vegetables are particularly rich in this vitamin. A 1-cup serving of strawberries supplies 89.4 mg, while the same amount of kiwi provides 166.9 mg. Oranges contain 83.2 mg per serving and grapefruits supply 71.8 mg. Cantaloupe is another good source with 58.7 mg per cup. Red bell peppers are one of the best sources of vitamin C with 190.3 mg per 1-cup serving. Broccoli provides 81.2 mg and cauliflower supplies 51.6 mg in a single cup.
Tips for Including Vitamin C Foods in Your Diet
There are a variety of ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C into your diet. You can slice fresh strawberries over a bowl of breakfast cereal or peel and segment an orange for a mid-morning snack. You can add raw broccoli and cauliflower florets to a tossed green salad or dip them in low-fat ranch dressing. Include chopped red bell pepper in soup or try using them to make stuffed peppers. Pack some fresh cantaloupe for lunch at work or add some fresh kiwi to your favorite smoothie recipe.
Member Comments