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Scurvy

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Scurvy

Scurvy

Image by U.S. Military Health System

Causes

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic Acid) Molecule

Image by TheVisualMD

What Causes Scurvy?

You can develop scurvy if you don’t have enough vitamin C in your diet for at least 3 months. You can’t store vitamin C in your body for long, so you need to take it in regularly. Vitamin C, which is also known as ascorbic acid, is found mainly in fruit and vegetables.

Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, guavas and kiwi fruit. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Asian greens and tomatoes also have a lot of vitamin C. You can find vitamin C in many other fruits and vegetables. The richest source is the bush food known as the Kakadu plum, salty plum or gubinge.

You are more at risk of getting scurvy if you:

eat a diet without many fruit and vegetables
cook your vegetables for long periods, since this destroys vitamin C
have a health condition that makes it difficult to digest food, like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
are on a very restrictive diet
have an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa
smoke, drink a lot of alcohol, or take drugs

You can also develop scurvy if you have a bad diet and you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Young children can get scurvy too.

You can even develop scurvy if you are overweight. You might consume a lot of calories, but if you don’t eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables you still might not be getting enough vitamin C.

Source: Healthdirect Australia

Additional Materials (1)

3:56

Scurvy (Vitamin C Deficiency) - Causes, Signs & Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Med Today/YouTube

Symptoms

Scorbutic tongue

Image by CDC/Wikimedia

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Scurvy?

Your body needs vitamin C to work properly. Without enough vitamin C in your body, you can start to feel very ill. The symptoms of scurvy include:

feeling tired and weak
aching legs and arms
swollen and bleeding gums
red or blue spots on the skin, usually on the shins
bumps around the hair follicles
bruising easily
wounds taking a long time to heal
anaemia

Source: Healthdirect Australia

Additional Materials (5)

Scurvy; male figure.

Wellcome Images / Wellcome Trust

Leg of a patient with scorbutus (scurvy), 1887

Wellcome Images / Wellcome Trust

38 year old man suffering from scurvy. Baumgartner, 1929

Wellcome Images / Wellcome Trust

8:23

Vitamin C Deficiency (Scurvy) Symptoms (ex. bad teeth, fatigue), Why symptoms happen & who gets them

JJ Medicine/YouTube

3:26

4 Subclinical Vitamin C Deficiency Signs that are Extremely Common

Dr. Eric Berg DC/YouTube

Vitamin C Testing

Vitamin C Test

Also called: Ascorbic Acid, L-ascorbic acid, L-ascorbate

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that the body does not produce, but is found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C has an important role in several functions of the body. A vitamin C test is used to evaluate the deficiency of this vitamin.

Vitamin C Test

Also called: Ascorbic Acid, L-ascorbic acid, L-ascorbate

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that the body does not produce, but is found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C has an important role in several functions of the body. A vitamin C test is used to evaluate the deficiency of this vitamin.

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Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.
mg/dL
0.2
2
Your result is Normal.
Normal results vary based on the laboratory and the method used.
Related conditions
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin and an important antioxidant (which means that it protects your cells from damage). Since your body does not produce vitamin C, it is important to eat foods that are high in this vitamin, such as citrus fruits, green and red bell peppers, and other vegetables.
Vitamin C has an important role in many processes in the body. These include:
- Protein metabolism
- Antioxidative function, which helps decrease the risk of developing cancer
- Aid the immune system function
- Help in iron absorption
- Production of collagen
- Help in the production of several hormones
Your body regulates the concentration of vitamin C in your blood and tissues. When the intake of ascorbic acid increases, the absorption in the body drops.
The highest concentration of vitamin C is found in your eyes, brain, adrenal glands, pituitary gland and in the white blood cells.
Some people are more likely to experience vitamin C deficiency. Therefore, your doctor may order this test in the following cases:
- If you are a smoker or a passive smoker
- If your food intake is limited
- If you have been diagnosed with malabsorption or some chronic disease
Testing for vitamin C is also indicated in the following cases:
- When you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
- If you are receiving renal dialysis
- In cases of iron overdose disorder
- Pregnancy
- If you have disorders of the digestive tract, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease
Babies who are given cow’s milk or heated milk instead of breast milk, are also in a risk of vitamin C deficiency.
A normal concentration of ascorbic acid in the blood is:
- For adults: 0.2-2.0 mg/dL.
- For children: 0.2-2.3 mg/dL.
A lower-than-normal result of this test is indicative of vitamin C deficiency.
Vitamin C deficiency can lead to a disease called scurvy. Even though this disease is very rare these days, it can still be found in populations where a poor diet is present. Some centuries ago, scurvy was a common disease among sailors. The symptoms of scurvy include:
- Bleeding of the gums and loss of teeth
- Infection of the gums
- Pain in the joints
- Impaired wound healing
- Dry eyes and mouth
- Fatigue
Having too high concentrations of vitamin C is very unlikely because the body excretes the excess of vitamins through the urine. An excessive intake of vitamin C could lead to diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort.
1. Vitamin C: MedlinePlus [accessed on Nov 07, 2018]
2. VITC - Clinical: Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Plasma [accessed on Nov 07, 2018]
3. 001479: Vitamin C | LabCorp [accessed on Nov 07, 2018]

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

Additional Materials (6)

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic Acid) Molecule

Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble, antioxidant vitamin vital for wound healing, antioxidant regeneration, immune function, iron absorption, and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Humans are unable to synthesize Vitamin C, so it is essential to obtain adequate dietary sources. All fruits and vegetables Vitamin C in some amount. Cooking Vitamin C-rich foods or storing them for a long period of time can reduce the Vitamin C content. Microwaving and steaming these foods may reduce cooking losses. The best food sources of Vitamin C are uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. In this model, carbon atoms are dark gray, hydrogen atoms are white, and oxygen atoms are red.

Image by TheVisualMD

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic Acid) Molecule

Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble, antioxidant vitamin vital for wound healing, antioxidant regeneration, immune function, iron absorption, and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Humans are unable to synthesize Vitamin C, so it is essential to obtain adequate dietary sources. All fruits and vegetables Vitamin C in some amount. Cooking Vitamin C-rich foods or storing them for a long period of time can reduce the Vitamin C content. Microwaving and steaming these foods may reduce cooking losses. The best food sources of Vitamin C are uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. In this model, carbon atoms are dark gray, hydrogen atoms are white, and oxygen atoms are red.

Image by TheVisualMD

Scurvy

Scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C, sickened sailors who had no access to fresh food supplies, and killed more than 2 million sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries alone. Citrus juice was discovered to cure the disease long before vitamin C was identified as the essential nutrient in the fruit.

Image by U.S. Military Health System

Orange toms

Image by Jon Bunting from UK

Tangerines on yellow background

Tangerines are high in Vitamin C, ascorbic acid.

Image by Sahand Babali/Unsplash

Citrus fruit high in vitamin C, ascorbic acid

Image by Free-Photos

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic Acid) Molecule

TheVisualMD

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic Acid) Molecule

TheVisualMD

Scurvy

U.S. Military Health System

Orange toms

Jon Bunting from UK

Tangerines on yellow background

Sahand Babali/Unsplash

Citrus fruit high in vitamin C, ascorbic acid

Free-Photos

Prevention

Citrus fruit high in vitamin C, ascorbic acid

Image by Free-Photos

How Much Vitamin C Do I Need?

The amount of vitamin C you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts for different ages are listed below in milligrams (mg).

Life Stage	Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months	40 mg
Infants 7–12 months	50 mg
Children 1–3 years	15 mg
Children 4–8 years	25 mg
Children 9–13 years	45 mg
Teens 14–18 years (boys)	75 mg
Teens 14–18 years (girls)	65 mg
Adults (men)	90 mg
Adults (women)	75 mg
Pregnant teens	80 mg
Pregnant women	85 mg
Breastfeeding teens	115 mg
Breastfeeding women	120 mg

If you smoke, add 35 mg to the above values to calculate your total daily recommended amount.

Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)

Additional Materials (4)

21:57

Are The Benefits Of Vitamin C Real Or Hype? | Talking Point | Full Episode

CNA Insider/YouTube

1:00

Best Time To Take Vitamin C

Good Life Tube/YouTube

0:59

What Is And How Much Vitamin C Per Day - Functions, Benefits Of, Foods High In Vitamin C

Whats Up Dude/YouTube

14:21

This is Why You Need Vitamin C Everyday

Institute of Human Anatomy/YouTube

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