Home Remedies For Scurvy
Scurvy is, perhaps, the oldest known deficiency disease. However, its specific relationship to ascorbic acid was not recognized until the 20th century. ‘The disease is common among children and is often mistaken for rheumatism, rickets, or paralysis. Scurvy was widely prevalent in the 19th century among sailors on long voyages. They often subsisted for long periods on salt, fish, meats, and breadstuffs, and were entirely deprived of any fresh food.
Scurvy Home Remedies
The human body doesn’t produce Vitamin C. Hence, people suffering from scurvy should increase the intake of fresh fruits, especially citrus fruits, and vegetables. Their diet should consist of fruits rich in Vitamin C including lemon, oranges, guava, green peppers, watermelon, papaya, olives, honey, mango, strawberry. The vegetables fortified with Vitamin C are tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage which should also be included in the diet. The patients should not forget to consume citrus juices.
Orange juice is an effective dietary home remedy for scurvy and was the standard treatment before the discovery of vitamin C.
In special cases, such as pregnancy, nursing mothers, old age, recovering patients, a dose of 100 milligrams a day will do.
Maintaining a diet that is rich in vitamin C will prevent any further attacks of the disease.
Another excellent home remedy for scurvy is Indian gooseberry (known as “Amla”). Gooseberry is an excellent source of Vitamin C. Make a powder of dry gooseberry and sugar and mix the powder with milk. One tsp of the syrup thrice a day will banish scurvy effectively.
Another effective home remedy for scurvy is the use of amchur, a popular article of diet in Indian house, consisting of green mangoes, skinned,stonned, cut into pieces and dried in the sun. Fifteen grams of it is believed to be equivalent to 30 grams of good lime on account of its citric content.
Besides a well-balanced diet, the child-patient should be given liberal quantities of vitamin C -rich foods like orange, bittergourd, tomatoes and leafy vegetables such as spinach and cabbage. The child should also be allowed as much fresh air and sunshine as possible. A cold towel rubbed twice daily and a gentle massage twice or thrice a week will also be beneficial in the treatment of scurvy.
