PIRATE'S DISEASE
There's a notion that Scurvy is an ancient disease that pirates on ships suffered in the 1700s. Lemme burst your bubble, I’m here to tell you that Scurvy is still roaming the streets of Lagos, Accra and Nairobi in disguise.
Today is International Scurvy Awareness Day.
In the side of the world, the food we mostly consume are heavy; Garri, Pounded Yam, Sadza, Ugali. These are energy giving food, however they don’t provide the body glue we need to stay held together.
The unending complains of weakness or bleeding gums are not caused by your hard toothbrushes of village people. Parts of your body are falling apart due to the deficiency of Vitamin C.
The human body like a brick house, Collagen is the cement that holds the bricks together, Vitamin C is the worker who mixes that cement.
Without the worker (Vitamin C), the cement becomes weak. The bricks start falling out. That is Scurvy.
The signs of Scurvy includes;
- Bleeding gums (when you eat or brush).
- Wounds refusing to heal (the cement is too weak to close the gap).
- Mystery bruises on your legs that look like you were beaten in your sleep.
- Feeling tired even after sleeping for 10 hours.
You should know that Vitamin C is Water Soluble and the implication of this means your body cannot store it. You can't eat 10 oranges today and hope they last until next month. Your body uses what it needs and flushes the rest. You need a daily subscription of Vitamin C.
The good news is that Africa is blessed! You don't need expensive imported supplements. Fruits like Oranges, lemons pawpaw, mangoes, guavas (One of the highest sources), bell peppers (Tatashe) can give you your needed supply of Vitamin C.
N.B: If you’re a smoker or under heavy stress, your body will burn Vitamin C faster. Double amount of the required Vitamin C intake in your own case (just quit smoking and save yourself from unnecessary stress)
Don't be a victim of Pirate's disease in this big 2026. Eat your fruits, protect your collagen and keep your body glued together!
#ScurvyAwarenessDay #MedLabScience #PublicHealthAfrica #NutritionFacts #HealthyLiving #ScienceCommunication