Scurvy is a rare disease today, caused by a severe lack of vitamin C that manifests itself in symptoms such as easy bleeding of the gums during tooth brushing and difficulty healing, and its treatment is done with vitamin C supplements, doctor or nutritionist indicated.
Ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C, can be found in citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, pineapple and acerela, and in vegetables such as potatoes, broccoli, spinach and red pepper; this vitamin remains in a juice for about half an hour and cannot withstand heat, so vegetables rich in this vitamin should be eaten raw.
- The daily recommendation for vitamin C is 30 to 60 mg.
- But increased intake during pregnancy.
- Lactation.
- In women taking the birth control pill and in people who smoke is recommended.
- Curvy can be avoided by consuming about 10 mg per day.
Signs and symptoms of a severe lack of vitamin C include
These symptoms begin 3 to 6 months after stopping consumption of vitamin C-rich foods and rarely occur in newborns.
The diagnosis of scurvy is made after the examination of the individual and the examination of eating habits. The disease can be controlled by observing signs such as generalized osteoporosis, scurvy or Fraenkel line, the sign of the Wimberger halo or ring, and the Trummerfeld area in X-rays The costal rosary and Pelkan spur may also indicate scurvy.
Learn more about vitamin C deficiency symptoms here
The cause of scurvy is the lack of vitamin C in the body, the lack of this vitamin alters the formation of collagen, which supports the skin, ligaments and cartilage, and chondroin sulfate, which together generate the signs and symptoms typical of the disease.
Rebound scurvy can occur when a person takes excessive doses of vitamin C and then stops suddenly.
Scurvy treatment is done with supplements of 300 to 500 mg vitamin C, per day, for 3 months.
A good home treatment for scurvy is to increase the intake of vitamin C source foods such as acerla, strawberry, pineapple, orange, lemon, celery, red pepper and others. It is recommended to take 90 to 120 ml of freshly prepared orange juice or ripe tomato, daily, for about 3 months, in addition to treatment.