Scurvy cases more than DOUBLE in UK thanks to millennials’ fussy eating habits and bland diets
SCURVY is making a comeback because of millenials’ fussy eating habits – opting for bland and limited diets.
Hospital admissions for cases of the severe vitamin C deficiency have more than doubled in recent years.
Between 2010 and 2018, the NHS reports admissions could be as high as 5,100, with 167 reported in 12 hospitals in 2018.
Hannah, 28, a biologist, went to the doctor after losing weight unexpectedly, suffering from bleeding gums and suffering from “gut symptoms”.
After she was later diagnosed with scurvy, even her doctor surprised, as she was eating a “pretty balanced diet“.
She told : “The scurvy was a wake-up call. The treatment was immediate gluten-free diet and then basically maximising the nutritive value of my diet.
“I drank a lot of those bottled protein shakes. I recall laughing at it because who the heck gets scurvy these days? I think I made pirate jokes when I told my family.”
A 20-year-old university student from the US wasn’t the most picky eater but certainly avoided her vegetables in her teenage years.
But she was diagnosed with the deficiency after going to the doctor, complaining of tiredness, loosened gums around teeth and easy bruising.”
She said: “Aside from the fact that I’d only heard of people at sea being affected, I’m from the Southern US, where I can’t escape fresh fruit if I tried, so it really threw me for a loop.”
Dr Clare Morrison, a GP and Medical adviser at Medexpress added: ” There is a tendency for fussy eaters to stick to a ‘beige diet’ containing nothing but bread, chips, cakes, chicken nuggets and cereal.
“This diet, taken to extremes could lead to scurvy.”
Lisa Borg, a nutritional therapist at Pulse Light Clinic also noted that it’s best to eat the widest variety of foods so your body can get as much nourishment as it needs.
WHAT IS SCURVY?
Scurvy is caused by not having enough vitamin C in your diet for at least 3 months, according to the NHS.
Vitamin C is mainly found in fruit and vegetables.
Symptoms include:
- feel very tired and weak all the time
- have severe joint or leg pain
- have swollen, bleeding gums – sometimes teeth can fall out
- have skin that bruises easily
Scurvy, can leave a person with muscle pain, joint pain, tiredness, red dots on the skin and swelling and bleeding of the gums, although this is rare.
Natural Cures suggests regular amounts of oranges, red pepper, kale, broccoli, strawberries and grapefruit in your diet.
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