Category: Scurvy

Historically, scurvy was a feared disease among sailors subsisting on preserved foods, but despite eliminating fruits and vegetables, people on a carnivore diet rarely, if ever, develop the condition. The answer lies in both the surprising presence of vitamin C in fresh meat and a fascinating metabolic shift caused by carbohydrate restriction.

Scurvy is a disease of severe vitamin C deficiency, and in pediatric patients, it manifests with specific bone abnormalities that are visible on X-ray. One of the most definitive of these radiological findings is the Trummerfeld zone, a translucent band in the metaphysis of long bones.

Historically, scurvy was a limiting factor in long-distance sea travel, killing large numbers of people due to a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. This severe nutritional illness is the **deficiency disease caused by lack of vitamin C**, known medically as ascorbic acid deficiency.

While rare in developed nations, severe vitamin C deficiency, lasting for months, leads to the disease known as scurvy. It is a preventable condition caused by a diet lacking fresh fruits and vegetables. Knowing the signs and symptoms is vital for early diagnosis and treatment.