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Are you ready for the potential of scurvy?
Yeah, I do know what you’re saying….scurvy is so nineteenth century….That may’t probably be an issue for me, SHTF or not! Nicely, learn on, pricey Prepper, and you may draw your individual conclusions about whether or not scurvy could be an actual downside for you or not, if the you-know-what begins spinning and the you-know-what will get to hitting it.
The Historical past of Scurvy
Nicely, OK, this isn’t an entire historical past of scurvy or it might be a e-book. I’m going to make a few factors on the historical past of scurvy, although:
1) Scurvy is a scarcity of 1 factor in your weight loss plan: Vitamin C.
Within the olden days, sailors had extra bother surviving their sea voyages on account of illness than any enemy they may have been combating.
Approach again in 1747, a medical apprentice named James Lind performed a scientific examine on a treatment for scurvy on six pairs of sailors. The cures tried have been cider, drops of diluted sulphuric acid (yum yum!), consuming sea water, a mix of garlic, mustard seed, horse-radish, and tree saps (once more…yum! yum!), 6 spoons of vinegar a day, or two oranges and one lemon a day.
Guess which treatment labored? Sure, you’ve doubtless already heard that it was the oranges and lemons.
2) When settlers have been dying of scurvy in North America, the indigenous peoples had compassion for them and offered a tea that saved their lives.
Figuring out what that tea was manufactured from would possibly save your life or the life of somebody you like in SHTF. As a result of, let’s face it….are you able to run to the shop in SHTF and seize a pleasant bag of Clementines? Hmmm. I doubt it. So, the query is that this: Have you learnt what plant supplies are excessive in vitamin C in your individual space are which you could safely establish and forage for?
Right here’s an inventory from LearnYourLand.com to begin you off:
•Canine rose (Rosa canina), fruit, 1252 mg
•Balsam fir (Abies balsamea), leaves, 270 mg
•Jap white pine (Pinus strobus), bark and leaves, 200 mg and 32 mg respectively
•Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), aerial components, 190 mg
•Pink spruce (Picea rubens), leaves, 169 mg
•Wild garlic (Allium vineale), leaves, 130 mg
•Backyard yellow-rocket (Barbarea vulgaris), basal leaves, 130 mg
•Frequent blue violet (Viola sororia), basal leaves, 130 mg
•Lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album), complete younger vegetation, 130 mg
•Elderberry (Sambucus nigra), fruit, 116 mg
•Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), basal leaves of first yr vegetation, 91 mg
•Wild leeks (Allium tricoccum), leaves, 80 mg
•Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), fruit, 80 mg
•Mock strawberry (Duchesnea indica), leaves, 79 mg
•Jap redbud (Cercis canadensis), flowers, 69 mg
•Mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), fruit, 68 mg
•Frequent yellow woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta), leaves, 59 mg
•Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), leaves, 45 mg
Early Scurvy Signs
Earlier than I share my very own secret weapon towards scurvy, I wish to present some essential particulars about the way it works and impacts folks. Proper now, only a few Individuals have any downside with a deficiency of Vitamin C in any respect, lower than 10%.
I’m figuring, although, that a whole lot of these Individuals are consuming some Vitamin C-laden breakfast juice each morning. How about you? If that have been minimize off, and entry to many recent greens was as properly, you would possibly begin experiencing a few of these early signs of scurvy after just a few months: “common weak point, fatigue, irritability, and joint ache.”
Now, right here’s my level: How efficient are you going to be in SHTF even with these early signs? And the way simple wouldn’t it be to overlook them, transferring on to the extra severe signs and probably threat your life? Let’s face it, throughout SHTF, everybody’s going to be grumpy, proper? And possibly drained, too….
It could possibly be simple to overlook within the chaos of what you’re coping with.
Extreme Scurvy Signs
Because the deficiency of Vitamin C will get worse and worse, the signs get an increasing number of severe. A lot of you’ll recall accounts of the sailors dropping their tooth. Peoples’ gums bleed, swell up, and turn into spongy, thus resulting in the lack of tooth. You may turn into anemic. You’ll bleed beneath your pores and skin, bruising simply. Your legs could swell up. Your hair and pores and skin will undergo, turning into dry and brittle.
Keep in mind these sailors dying of scurvy? One of many historic accounts by a commander describes them this fashion:
They merely lay of their hammocks, struggling “an odd dejection of spirits,” whereas others who “resolved to get out of their hammocks, have died earlier than they might properly attain the deck.”
Scurvy Options
When you’ve got a lot of nice tradeable objects, and weren’t compelled to flee your own home for any purpose, congratulations! You could possibly commerce for some orange juice a number of months previous its finest earlier than date. When you’re fortunate, you would possibly discover some canned oranges in a retailer or for commerce. Guard these together with your life, as they may put it aside someday. The excellent news is that, even for comparatively extreme instances, there’s fast reduction from signs inside 48 hours to per week, you’ll begin to really feel significantly better and get stronger.
It may be useful to know that, aside from oranges and citrus fruits, there are some greens which have some Vitamin C. They’re tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, strawberries, and candy peppers. Think about if you have a look at this record when you’ve got a meals storage and preservation plan that ensures your weight loss plan has satisfactory Vitamin C by way of the winter (particularly when you’ve got winter like me).
My “Secret” Weapon Towards Scurvy
In my very own space, there’s a frequent plant that’s well-known for having a excessive degree of Vitamin C: Staghorn Sumac. Now, for those who’re within the Northeast or the Midwest, you’re in luck. You may need some in your yard.
You may get pleasure from some well being sustaining “sumac-ade” by boiling the berries in water, making a scrumptious drink just like lemonade. The indigenous peoples of North America additionally used this plant for various different medicinal remedies.
CAUTION: Use a great plant identification information to get clear on this, as there’s quite a lot of this that’s toxic! So, don’t kill your self making an attempt to not die of scurvy, please, please, please!
When you don’t have any of this plant rising close by, and also you don’t know of an area plant excessive in Vitamin C, now you can do some homework and area work that may save your life someday!
When All of the Orange Juice Is Gone…
Daisy shares up on this drink powder, which might additionally assist to cover the style of not-so-fresh filtered water.
The Wellness Firm has liposomal Vitamin C in addition to Fruit and Veggie Gummies you possibly can replenish on for prime quality sources of vitamins to your pantry.
Even the early signs of scurvy might hamper your survival in SHTF. How are your meals shops with regards to Vitamin C? What native plant might you forage for in your space to safe your well being?
Please inform us within the feedback part!
About Rowan
Rowan O’Malley is a fourth-generation Irish American who loves all issues inexperienced: vegetation (particularly shamrocks), bushes, herbs, and weeds! She challenges herself every day to reside her finest life and to be as match, wholesome, and ready as potential.
