If you suffer from scurvy

Scurvy may occur in persons of any age. The primary cause of the disease is insufficient intake of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). This may be due to ignorance, anorexia, restrictive diets or difficulty in ingesting foods. Historically, scurvy was the result of long sea voyages where sailors did not bring along enough foods with vitamin C.

Scurvy symptoms include loss of appetite, poor weight gain, gum bleeding, irritability, tenderness and discomfort in legs, rapid breathing, swelling over long bones, loosened teeth, petechial hemorrhage (a tiny pinpoint red mark) of the skin and mucous membranes.

Infants with scurvy will become apprehensive, anxious and progressively irritable. They often will assume the frog leg posture for comfort when struck with pseudo-paralysis. It is common for infants with scurvy to present subperiosteal hemorrhage, a specific bleeding that occurs at the lower ends of the long bones.

To meet the demand of vitamin C and preventing scurvy, orange can be a good option for you alongside other citrus fruits. Good point of taking an orange is that, in spite of abounding in vitamins and nutrients it does not contain much amount of carbohydrate. So, the diabetics and obese patients can have it as well.

Orange does not contain lots of calories. You can get some amount of 62 calories from a middle sized orange. Besides, it is a good source of vitamin A and anti-oxidants too.

Orange is enriched with pectin, a kind of fiber which helps to remove constipation and crams your stomach without gaining extra weight. To have the fibers completely you need to eat orange without peeling off. Pectin has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing its re-absorption in the colon.

Like other citrus fruits, orange contains cancer preventing Phytonutrient. This fruit is also a good source of potassium and calcium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps to control heart rate and blood pressure through countering sodium actions. It is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins.

As it contains potassium, kidney patients need to consult with their doctors about to number of orange they are allowed to take in a day.

Now-a-days other than few children, people are rarely seen to suffer from scurvy. But it does not make a sense that you never lack vitamin C. So, when seasonal citrus fruits are around you to give fresh, delicious flavour and nutrients, you should have those to prevent disease naturally.

The write-up is compiled by Dr Sk Abdul Moktadir.