Scurvy is a condition that is caused due to the prolonged deficiency of ascorbic acid in the human body, which we commonly know as vitamin C. This disease is also popular by several other names, such as Moeller's disease, Cheadle's disease and Barlow's disease.
People whose diet is low in fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables are found to be most highly affected by scurvy. The following is a list of people whom scurvy affects the most:-
(i) People who spend a lot of time away from the main land, such as sailors. In ancient times, scurvy was a big problem with the sailing crowd.
(ii) Children whose diet is lacking in vitamin C rich foods.
(iii) Infants who are weaned early from their mother's breastmilk.
(iv) Prisoners who are kept away from the foods that can provide them vitamin C.
There are many symptoms that can indicate the presence of scurvy in people. The following are some prominent symptoms:-
(i) Bleeding of the gums, or spongy gums
(ii) Bleeding from the mucus membrane under the skin, known as subcutaneous hemorrhage
(iii) Pain in the joints
(iv) Poor healing capacity of the wounds
(v) Liver spots
(vi) General weakness of the body.
Home Remedies for Scurvy
Scurvy is a dietary deficiency disease. It can be rectified with a proper introduction of vitamin C in the diet. However, some immediate steps must also be taken in order to avoid complications. The following are some good home remedies that can be used to heal scurvy:-
Natural remedy for scurvy - Vitamin C is available in tablet form or syrup form at the chemists'. Hence regular dosage can reduce its deficiency and bring back to normal condition. It is better to carry this on upon the prescription of a doctor, though. This is one of the useful home remedy for scurvy.
Scurvy cure - Most fresh fruits have a high content of vitamin C. Some good examples are oranges, sweet lemons, watermelons, grapefruits, cantaloupes, etc. Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, along with tomatoes, cabbages and green peppers have good amounts of vitamin C. These foods should be promptly included in the diet. This is one of the useful diet for scurvy.
Scurvy treatment - The amalaki (Emblica officinalis, Indian Gooseberry) is the richest source of vitamin C among all foods. The fruit of this plant must be eaten regularly. At least four fruits must be eaten at different periods of the day. This is one of the quickest ways to replenish the vitamin C deficiency in the diet.
One efficient way to use amalaki in the scurvy treatment is to make some powdered mixture of dry amalaki and take and equal amount of sugar. Mix these two powders thoroughly. Then take one teaspoonful of this powder with milk every night before going to sleep. This will resolve the scurvy conditions within a few days.
Extract the juice of one full lemon. Then mix it with a teaspoonful of honey. Put this in a glassful of slightly warm water. Drink this twice a day. It is a very effective remedy to seek quick treatment from scurvy. This is one of the useful home remedies for scurvy.
Vitamin C is abundant in green leafy vegetables. Spinach and broccoli should be included in the diet. This is one of the good scurvy remedy.
Home remedy for scurvy - Infants who are weaned from breast milk should be nourished with cow’s milk and an additional supplement of vitamin C. For infants what is more important is proper feeding. Hence after birth they should be properly breastfed whenever necessary. If this is not possible than they should be fed cow’s milk with additional supplement of vitamin C.
Diet for scurvy - Balanced diet after the age of 1 year is very important for children. So they should be given fresh fruits and vegetables besides milk. This is one of the useful diet
Jaundice berry is a valuable herbal remedy. Its decoction is prepared by boiling its leaves in 500ml of water. Boil till content becomes 1/3 of its original content. It can be taken in the doses of 2-4ml. This is one of the best home remedies for scurvy.
Home remedy for scurvy - Provide a glass of orange juice regularly to infants. This will keep them away from the disease.
Another effective measure is the use of powder of dried raw mango, known as aamchur. This is commonly found in the Indian diet. Take skinned green mango, cut into pieces, dry it in the sun and powder it. Add this powder in half a glass of water and consume daily.15mg of aamchur is equivalent to 30mg of good lime on account of its citric content. This is one of the important natural remedy for scurvy.
How to get rid of Scurvy
Scurvy can be avoided by taking an adequate amount of vitamin C in the diet. The following points must be noted:-
(i) In infants, the minimum daily requirement of vitamin C is 7 milligrams. This amount must be supplemented to the infant with breast milk. Even pregnant women must take care of the amount of vitamin C they take, or it could cause infantile scurvy. They must have a vitamin C amount of at least 70 milligrams per day and when they are lactating, this amount must go up to 95 milligrams per day.
(ii) For adults, vitamin C must be had in adequate amounts. Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, there is no danger of a disease due to excess intake.
(iii) Fresh fruits like lemons, strawberries and oranges and foods like parsley, capsicum, pawpaw, tomatoes and leafy green vegetables are very rich in vitamin C. They should form a main portion of the diet. This is one of the effective diet for scurvy.
