Scurvy, Vitamin C, and why it should be in your Emergency Supplies
Anyone who lived a healthy childhood will probably be acquainted with the term scurvy, particularly as it pertains to piracy on the high seas. The reality is that privateers and merchants as well were engaging in a kind of bug out nourishment hundreds of years ago, engaging in nutritional preparation to maximize their performance when in events of uncertain food supply.
If there wasn't enough Vitamin C, sailors might experience brown spots, soft gums and eventually bleeding all over which resulted in death.
Vitamin C: one of your important emergency supplies
Among the most significant water soluble vitamins, there are numerous functions that vitamin C takes care of, including recovery, immune and oxidative protection, and also the repair of connective tissue in the body. This makes it one of your vital emergency resources regarding survival.
Vitamin C plays a key role in bone formation and scar tissue repair. Nowhere is this more important compared to a disaster situation. When the SHTF, you should heal as soon as possible. Being laid up by injuries could completely mess up your plans. It would be a crying shame if you were not capable to escape to your well stored bug out location as you were held back by an injury, very slow to escape the rising tides/angry mob/legions of zombies.
Vitamin C is even by far the most powerful anti-oxidants commonly available. It has got a direct relationship with glutathione, that the body uses for cleansing of the liver and other tissues. Being an anti-oxidant, it helps decrease the effect of harmful materials within your body like alcohol.
Ultimately, it is required for the maintenance of connective tissue. This can bring us complete circle to the scurvy example. Without vitamin C, the body can not sustain collagen, the primary protein in your skin, gums and just about everything else. As collagen degrades, so will the tissue it is made of, which is why the skin and gums start to bleed. Without structure, they are unable to do the work of defending your body which can cause death in extreme cases.
Now how will one prevent this?
Various sources, various forms
The most common kind of vitamin C is ascorbic acid. Ascorbic Acid along with the relevant ascorbates (AA bound to a mineral) are one of the uncommon cases where the easiest type to produce is still healthy for you.
The best way to boost C vitamins, in home and in the field
Good news and not so good news. The good news is: vitamin C is made by nearly every plant and animal on this planet. The not so good news is that human beings are among the few species which can't produce it. In order to take advantage of vitamin C, it should be taken often.
The traditional method to supplement vitamin C for the seafarers of old was through getting citrus on the ship. The issue with this was that fruit only lasted so long. People trying to prep for long-term survival would be set up until the lemons ran out.
Fortunately, vitamin C can be found in fruiting plants present in almost every climate. Foraging berries, cactus fruit or mangoes would help you get adequate vitamin C to provide. In a most extreme case scenario, even eating meat will prevent vitamin C deficiency. Native inuits in the arctic, with no resources of fruiting plants can make due with organ meats like caribou liver, seal brain and whale skin, which are the same organs your body uses to store vitamin c in the moderate term.
If there wasn't enough Vitamin C, sailors might experience brown spots, soft gums and eventually bleeding all over which resulted in death.
Vitamin C: one of your important emergency supplies
Among the most significant water soluble vitamins, there are numerous functions that vitamin C takes care of, including recovery, immune and oxidative protection, and also the repair of connective tissue in the body. This makes it one of your vital emergency resources regarding survival.
Vitamin C plays a key role in bone formation and scar tissue repair. Nowhere is this more important compared to a disaster situation. When the SHTF, you should heal as soon as possible. Being laid up by injuries could completely mess up your plans. It would be a crying shame if you were not capable to escape to your well stored bug out location as you were held back by an injury, very slow to escape the rising tides/angry mob/legions of zombies.
Vitamin C is even by far the most powerful anti-oxidants commonly available. It has got a direct relationship with glutathione, that the body uses for cleansing of the liver and other tissues. Being an anti-oxidant, it helps decrease the effect of harmful materials within your body like alcohol.
Ultimately, it is required for the maintenance of connective tissue. This can bring us complete circle to the scurvy example. Without vitamin C, the body can not sustain collagen, the primary protein in your skin, gums and just about everything else. As collagen degrades, so will the tissue it is made of, which is why the skin and gums start to bleed. Without structure, they are unable to do the work of defending your body which can cause death in extreme cases.
Now how will one prevent this?
Various sources, various forms
The most common kind of vitamin C is ascorbic acid. Ascorbic Acid along with the relevant ascorbates (AA bound to a mineral) are one of the uncommon cases where the easiest type to produce is still healthy for you.
The best way to boost C vitamins, in home and in the field
Good news and not so good news. The good news is: vitamin C is made by nearly every plant and animal on this planet. The not so good news is that human beings are among the few species which can't produce it. In order to take advantage of vitamin C, it should be taken often.
The traditional method to supplement vitamin C for the seafarers of old was through getting citrus on the ship. The issue with this was that fruit only lasted so long. People trying to prep for long-term survival would be set up until the lemons ran out.
Fortunately, vitamin C can be found in fruiting plants present in almost every climate. Foraging berries, cactus fruit or mangoes would help you get adequate vitamin C to provide. In a most extreme case scenario, even eating meat will prevent vitamin C deficiency. Native inuits in the arctic, with no resources of fruiting plants can make due with organ meats like caribou liver, seal brain and whale skin, which are the same organs your body uses to store vitamin c in the moderate term.
About the Author:
Thank you for reading! Terrance Franklin writes about survival and nutrition on a number of sites on the web. For more information on emergency supplies, be sure to check out emergency supplies. And for even deeper reading, follow the link at this site