Scurvy is a disease that likely conjures up images of sickly sailors from hundreds of years ago, but doctors in Canada are being warned to look out for the condition now, as a result of growing food insecurity.

A report published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) details the case study of a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with scurvy at a Toronto hospital last year.

The authors say the case points to the need for physicians to consider the possibility of scurvy, particularly among patients at higher risk for nutrient deficiencies, including people with low socioeconomic status and isolated older adults.

“This isn’t the first case of scurvy that I’ve seen in my career so far,” said Dr. Sally Engelhart, the study’s lead author and an internal medicine specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

  • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
    51·
    1 month ago

    Considering some people diets I would have expected it to be an issue sooner, however so much food is fortified with extra vitamins I feel you have to try HARD to avoid vitamin C / have a super narrow diet.

    • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
      6·
      1 month ago

      Or be poor, or live in a food desert, or live in remote regions where a bag of oranges can run $50 or more.

      • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
        3·
        1 month ago

        I think you are missing my point, SO many packaged foods have vitamin C added it seems hard to actually avoid it.

        • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
          3·
          1 month ago

          Packaged foods are also very expensive. I haven’t purchased packaged food for years because I am poor and have to find different foods to get the nutrition I need.

          • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
            21·
            1 month ago

            The packaged foods was more a comment on peoples bad habits. As for actively buying food and getting Vitamin C What about frozen from concentrate? It is about $1.29-3.00 per can and that makes close to 2L of juice. There is also frozen Broccoli and many other frozen fruits that keep well and normally are not very expensive.

            • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
              4·
              1 month ago

              My fixed income is just over $16k per year. I’ve had to downsize from a house to a bachelor appt to a bedroom, so now have limited access to refrigerator and freezer space. But at least I live in a city where I have access to somewhat resonably-priced food. The same cannot be said for those living in small towns or remote regions where prices can be double (or more) of city prices.

              I’m sure that our ideas of what is not very expensive are very different.

      • jerkface@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        If you or any other poor person is looking for an affordable and tasty source of C, it’s easy to ferment cabbage into sauerkraut with little more than some repurposed containers from recycling bins, optionally some plastic wrap, and some salt. Fresh sauerkraut tastes amazing and is loaded with vitamin C. Most other vegetables that you can get your hands on for cheap or free also work in a pinch.