(NaturalNews) The common disease directly attributed to vitamin C deficiency is scurvy. Scurvy creates a malaise of fatigue and lethargy, affects bone and muscle strength, and stifles the immune system.
Some nutritional experts consider scurvy a manifestation of acidosis, extreme acidity or low pH. That condition gives rise to many other diseases, even cancer. Thanks to using citrus to curb the two million earlier sailors' scurvy, scurvy's occurrence has greatly diminished from the late 18th century till now. But it does still occur.
Due to terrible diets or practicing bulimia to become anorexic, there has been a scurvy surge among teens. It can also afflict alcoholics or older people whose ability to absorb vitamin C has diminished from excessive medications or poor diets.
Even infants who are not breast fed by a healthy mom can become scorbutic (manifesting scurvy symptoms). Although not a wise choice due to toxic additives, most infant formulas are fortified with vitamin C.
Most animals can create their own vitamin C. That's why they can recover from disease or injury quickly. The problem with us humans, Guinea pigs, and a few other primates is the gene involved with internal vitamin C manufacturing is missing.
The remedy is simple. Introduce more vitamin C food sources into the diet and/or add ascorbic acid supplementation.
Early signs of encroaching scurvy
(1) Chronic low energy, strength, and/or depression. Even bone strength is affected. Since acidosis and scurvy are similar, the classic acidosis symptom of wasting away becomes evident while losing weight.
(2) Bleeding gums, loose teeth, or gingivitis. This is an obvious and easy to notice sign that the collagen needed for building and maintaining tissue is deteriorating. Vitamin C is vital for collagen.
(3) Rapid mood changes, short tempers, and irritability can be an early sign of
scurvy. Add more vitamin C to your diet or look into other possibilities before seeking pharmaceutical interventions.
(4) Bruises that occur easily, and often linger may be an indication of
vitamin C deficiency. Low healing of minor wounds and dryer hair may also point to inadequate vitamin C levels.
(5) Chronic limb or joint pain is another sign for you to check into low vitamin C as a missing nutrient. Sometimes scurvy gets to a point where bleeding occurs within joints, causing severe pain.
(6) Anemia is another sign of possible
vitamin C deficiency. If you seem to catch every cold or flu that comes your way, maybe more vitamin C will help elevate your immune system.
Vitamin C deficiency creates neurological problems
A recent study conducted at the
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Neuroscience in Nashville, Tennessee and recorded in the
Journal of Neurochemistry October, 2012, came up with some interesting observations.
They used mice which were genetically engineered to deactivate the genes that normally provide their own vitamin C. Of course, those mice are kept alive and healthy by externally providing them vitamin C with ascorbic
acid (AA).
But for the purposes of this study, they created periods of not providing AA and then reintroducing it. Before and after each period, blood samples were taken. During each deprivation period, behavioral patterns were observed and noted.
Depressive and submissive behavior was noted during the initial absence of AA. Compulsions for consuming glucose above all other food types was observed.
After depriving the mice of AA a second time, blood samples indicated "... decreased blood glucose levels, oxidative damage to lipids and proteins in the cortex, and decreases in dopamine and serotonin metabolites in both the cortex and striatum." In other words, neurological damage.
The miraculous results of IV mega-dose vitamin C or liposomal high cellular absorption vitamin C have been achieved by orthomolecular medical MDs who have used mega-dose minerals and vitamins for decades, resolving extreme physiological and psychological problems.
Mainstream medicine still won't go there. But you can. (
http://www.naturalnews.com/034591_vitamin_C_mega-dose_healing.html)
Sources for this article include:http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/40487http://www.unboundmedicine.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scurvyhttp://www.fitday.comhttp://www.monzy.com/scurvy/http://dermnetnz.org/systemic/scurvy.html
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