Scurvy (a vitamin C deficiency) had plagued the world for multiple centuries until actions were finally taken in attempt to find an antidote. Scurvy is a disease which results from insufficient intake of vitamin C and leads to the spots on the skin, spongy gums and bleeding from almost all mucous membranes. Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy was hastened in the age of sail because of the rigorous working conditions for sailors. The diet of sailors during the age of sail was obviously the main factor in the plight of scurvy. As Vitamin C cannot be produced internally by humans, it must be ingested through the diet. By examining the history of vitamin C, one can fully appreciate the advances made in its research. Surprisingly, vitamin C’s importance
C, which made the sailors resistant to scurvy. On the other hand, the French sailors were given a
15. Which of the following is NOT a possible toxicity symptom associated with vitamin C excesses?
Even though some of the diseases that caused the colonists to die are not known, it is safe to say that a lot of the sicknesses come from the contaminated water the colonists drank.
In order to prepare for any obstacle, Magellan was always prepared. As presented in Document C, “ He ordered lookouts scrambling to the highest perch on the ships, where they could see the waterways and obstacles that lay ahead.” Magellan sending of his crew members to the highest perch on the ship is yet risky, but also has an advantage so the helmsman can be prepared for difficult obstacles along way of their destination. Some of these obstacles included diseases like scurvy. Document D states, “ Magellan and his officers seemed immune to scurvy, a
During the Medieval era there were many diseases. Because of the lack of hygiene in the medieval times, diseases would spread like a wildfire. Just to name a few common diseases that happened in this time, there was the Black Death, leprosy, measles, and typhoid fever. These were most likely transported because of dirty bedsheets and blankets, unwashed clothing, and rodents. The treatments for these diseases and other things, such as medicine for stomach pains, medicine for wounds, and medicine for headaches, are different from today’s standards.
Vitamin D plays a critical role in many normal bodily functions as well as fighting against a wide number of health barriers. In an article by Jacqueline Kanopa, studies revealed that exposure to ultraviolet rays play a huge part in Vitamin D production, as well as having preventative effects on a disorder known as rickets; which leads to weakened bones due to lack of Vitamin D. This study supports the belief that exposure to UV rays play a critical role in Vitamin D production, and can be beneficial to those prone to certain
Vitamin A and D have showed unexpected and crucial effects on immune system. Vitamin A includes innate immune towards microbial infection, absence of vitamin A can increase the chance of bacterial, viral, and parasitic infection. Also excessive intake of vitamin A Is associated with toxicity, including blocked hematopoiesis, mitogen-induced T-cell spread, antigen-specific antibody production, and an increased susceptibility to infectious organisms. Vitamin A is also given by Retinoid supplement to treat the skin effects of T-cell lymphoma. Vitamin C also known as Ascorbic Acid also contribute in innate immunity system, Vitamin C works during infection to prevent oxidative damage. Lower concentration of vitamin C in leukocyte is related to reduce immune response in humans. It has been proven that Vitamin C concentrations in the plasma and leukocytes rapidly decline during infections and stress. Iron chelators such as desferrioxamine inhibit the activity of phagocyte oxidase and reduce reactive oxygen intermediate-dependent killing of bacterial pathogens, both in vitro and in vivo. Lastly, Zinc is a dietary trace mineral that is responsible for growth and development, and it is essential for the function of cells of the immune system. It increased susceptibility to
And another moral that you may learn from hemochromatosis is moderation. There is a point where a plethora of a good nutrient may actually be harmful, such in the case of hemochromatosis. However, the fact that scientists discovered an overload of iron may be dangerous could lead to new studies of nutrient overload. A rare disease known as hypervitaminosis D is caused by the toxicity of vitamin D (The Clinical Resource for Cellular Nutrition & Trace Mineral Analysis). As a future research potential, we can explore other diseases such as hemochromatosis and hypervitaminosis
They experienced success with this remedy due to the large amounts of vitamin C present in the
Imagine having swollen gums, tooth loss, fatigue, bruising, and exposure to new disease, only to die a few weeks after. With education, medicinal practices and accessibility to resources, the risk of scurvy proves less viable in our modern society. However, scurvy dominated the outbreaks and contributed to the onset of other pathogens during the Middle Ages and the Age of Sail. With over two million died during voyages, the disease impacted the ability to explore the world, the economy and ended up wiping out new colonies established from the Old World (Harthorne, 1). Caused by a lack of education, mundane conditions and diet, Scurvy became an epidemic between 1500 and 1800. Thus, scurvy ended up impacting the Columbian exchange and the role of history.
In her piece, Chaplin explicitly discusses the issue of scurvy in relation to circumnavigation, ranging from the 1500s to the beginning of the 1800s, with the assistance of direct accounts, narratives, medical statistics, and European literature. Generally, throughout the 3 centuries, sailors and captains believed that scurvy (also known as sea-sickness) could be cured solely through direct contact
Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is needed for growth and maintenance of healthy tissues, especially skin, blood vessels, bones, gums, teeth. Vitamin C aids in resistance against infection and healing of wounds. It also helps the body absorb iron from food. Vitamin C can be found in green vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes and citrus fruits such as oranges and lemon. A lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy, iron deficiency and poor wound healing. A healthy diet
There are also psychological manifestations of scurvy which includes depression and hysteria (Brown, 2015). This potentially fatal disease can be prevented with as little as 10 mg ascorbic acid intake per day , it is an amount easily obtained through consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables (Mussa et al,
As with other nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, over intake or overdose of vitamin C can become damage to our health. Toxicity of vitamin C can cause nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, insomnia, flashes or rashes, kidney stones, etc. The amount of vitamin C cannot be higher than 3000mg/day “Actually 2000mg/day is considered to be high for adults” (Ly Pham, 2011).
We live in a society in which we are in a state of constant fear of diseases. From when we are young we are taught repeatedly to wash our hands before every meal and to eat an apple daily. Moreover, we are catechized on a regular basis to bundle up so we do not catch a cold or pneumonia. Likewise, our doctors advise us to visit them annually to make sure we don’t have deficiency related disorders such as scurvy or anemia. What if there is a vitamin that could aid in preventing the aforementioned illnesses? Would it not be worth a try? Consider this an introduction to vitamin C! Details on this “wonder vitamin” are elaborated in the subsequent paragraphs!