Scurvy
Scurvy is common among the urban poor especially the elderly people whose diet lacks citrus fruits, leafy vegetables and tomatoes. Deficiency occurs due to food fadism and bizarre nutritional practices. Pressure cooking is convenient and a quick method of modern cooking. Sadly it is not that healthy, it takes away all vitamin C from the food due to high temperature. Scurvy develops in the first year of childhood when cow’s milk is not supplemented by citrus fruits juice and vegetables.
In scurvy the common complaint is general malaise, lethargy, weakness, dysnoea and pain in the bones and joints. Swelling and bleeding gums are common. In children disturbance of growth occurs. Wounds heal poorly. The story of scurvy is long. In the 15th century a lot of European adventures went on long sea voyages. In 1457, Vasco-da-Gama, from Portugal sailed round the Cape of Good Hope to reach Calicut in South India. Scurvy broke out, killing 100 out of his 160 crew members.
Scurvy as a determing factor for the success of sea voyage for another 300 years. James Lind, a Scottish Naval surgeon, in 1747, showed the good effect of lemon and oranges on scurvy. Later on, the British army started supplying oranges, lemon and vegetables to their crew. Vitamin C could cure scurvy. Today we know a little more that vitamin C is also anti cancer. More fruits and vegetables in your diet dilute the carcinogenic effect and help to move your bowels more efficiently.
The use of vitamin C for the treatment or prevention of common colds has aroused great interest. Available evidence indicates that its use does not reduce the number of episodes of respiratory illness but does decreases the total number of days of disability.
Rickets
Sun bathing is healthy and stimulates better bony growth in children. the man cause of rickets is lack of sunshine, fresh air and exercise. Sunbathing not only helps in better growth of bones but also in allergy and promotes relaxation.
Pellagra
Nicotinic acid deficiency causes pellagra. In survey carried out among 128 causes of pellagra admitted to Udaipur mental hospital it was found that they were mainly eaters of maize. It occured due to lack of a water soluble substance Nicotinic acid. Which is found in most grains, except maize and jowar.
It is advisable not to take jowar or maize chapati all the year round. Alternate them with wheat, bajra,gram or soya mixed with wheat chapaties. It is better not to stick to the same pulses. Keep on changing them, arhar, gram,masur, urad,moong etc. to make meals more interesting and avoiding deficiency diseases.
We may conclude that the simple food is better. As we get richer and the diet tends to become inferior. Rich countries suffer from more cases of high blood pressure, heart diseases, cancer and diabetes. Move from rich to poor country, the food improves, move from urban to rural area the food is healthier. Our ancestors were healthier because they used to take unrefined food. Why not we make an about-turn in all our food matters, and go back to the old ways and habits. The body is the abode for jivastama (self). If it has to perish due to lack of food, the self will leave the body as a tenant and go else where, who knows?
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