Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding from the skin may occur. As scurvy worsens there can be poor wound healing, personality changes, and finally death from infection or bleeding.It takes at least a month of little to no vitamin C in the diet before symptoms occur. In modern times, scurvy occurs ...

scurvy

Immunostimulating-drinks-for-patients

Immunostimulating drinks for patients 

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Orange,-grapefruit-and-other-citrus-fruit

Orange, grapefruit and other citrus fruit 

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It's probably not surprising that we start with a citrus selection. This fruit explosion contains more than enough of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, a super antioxidant that protects your cells from free radicals. 1

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Vitamin C deficiency can lead to delayed wound healing, impaired immune response, and an inability to cope with infections. It is used for many processes in the body and it is important to get it daily. Citrus will also provide you with vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, potassium and other nutrients, as well as valuable fiber for good digestion.

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Green-apple,-carrot-and-orange

Green apple, carrot and orange 

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Carrots, apples and oranges are a great combination that helps your body fight infections. Apples and oranges provide you with vitamin C. Vitamin A, which is also critical for a healthy immune system, is present in carrots in the form of the antioxidant beta carotene.

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Carrots also contain vitamin B6, which plays an important role in immune cell proliferation and antibody production. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.excli.de/vol15/Jang_19092016_proof.pdf" target="_blank" data-ref="" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp;

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Beetroot,-carrot,-ginger-and-apple

Beetroot, carrot, ginger and apple

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This resistance-boosting juice contains three root vegetables that will help your immune system and reduce inflammatory symptoms.

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Inflammation is often an immune response to infections originating from viruses or bacteria. For people who have rheumatoid arthritis or another inflammatory disease, this juice may be especially helpful, as ginger has anti-inflammatory effects. &nbsp;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-011-0310-7?error=cookies_not_supported&amp;code=0fcb4730-ef12-487f-a78e-6fb744c4bfff" target="_blank" data-ref="Chemical composition, functional properties and processing of carrot&mdash;a review - Journal of Food Science and Technology" rel="noopener">[ref. 2]</a>&nbsp;

Tomato-juice

Tomato juice 

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Tomatoes are rich in vitamin B9, known as folate. It helps reduce the risk of infections and is important for reproductive health. Tomatoes also provide moderate amounts of magnesium.

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The best way to make sure your tomato juice is fresh and doesn't contain many added ingredients is to make it yourself at home. We also offer you an easy recipe to prepare.

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Necessary products for homemade tomato juice:

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Black pepper</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">5 kg of tomatoes&nbsp;</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt</li></ul>How to prepare tomato juice?

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">First wash and chop the tomatoes into small pieces. It is desirable to go through a grinder. If you do not want tomato juice to have seeds, you need a special attachment to remove them.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Remove the foam separated during grinding and season with pepper and salt.&nbsp;</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Spread the juice in bottles, close and sterilize for 15 minutes after it is closed.</li></ul>

Kale,-tomatoes-and-celery

Kale, tomatoes and celery 

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Kale is the main product in many green juices, but together with tomatoes and celery can create an interesting combination with an immunostrengthening effect. These three foods will provide you with a range of nutrients such as magnesium, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin C, vitamin K and others.

Strawberry-and-kiwi

Strawberry and kiwi 

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For lovers of sweet food and drinks, we have not failed to include something tempting, but healthy. Strawberries and kiwi are super healthy foods to include in a vitamin C drink.&nbsp;

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Since it takes about 4 cups of strawberries to make 1 cup of juice, you may want to mix these fruits into a smoothie rather than juice. Then you can add vegetable milk - oatmeal, almond or other to get a drink with a perfect consistency. If you don't have enough sweets, you can sweeten with stevia or erythritol.

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If you want to replace milk with something else, try probiotic-rich yogurt. Taking probiotics can help your cells keep the antimicrobial barrier healthy, which is an important part of your immune defense. &nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00857" target="_blank" data-ref="Just a moment..." rel="noopener">[ref. 3]</a>&nbsp;

Strawberry-and-mango

Strawberry and mango 

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Smoothie with strawberries and mango is another healthy way to satisfy your cravings for sweets. This recipe includes a little frozen fruit that contains the same nutritional value as fresh fruit. You can also use fresh fruit if you have them on hand.

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The vitamin E from the mango and almond milk we recommend for the recipe provide additional antioxidant benefits to strengthen the immune system, especially in the elderly. Here are the ingredients you need:

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Strawberries: You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. They provide a lot of vitamin C to the smoothie recipe.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Mango: Again, you can use fresh or frozen mangoes, but it is easier for the blender if fewer products are frozen.&nbsp;</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Oranges: Oranges also add a large amount of vitamin C and go well with the sweetness of mangoes.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Carrots: This is a great food to add a serving of vegetables that easily blend in with the color of the strawberry mango smoothie without changing the taste.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Almond milk: If you keep a vegan smoothie, you're using plant-based milk like almond. But you can use ordinary milk, water, orange juice or coconut water. You only need a little liquid to trigger the blender.</li></ul>

Green-apple,-lettuce-and-cabbage

Green apple, lettuce and cabbage

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Green, vegetable-based juice is a source of nutrients that promote a strong immune system. Many official sources mention that we don't consume enough vegetables, so here's an unconventional way to put them together into juice and enjoy them.

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Add a handful of parsley or spinach for extra vitamins A, C and K&nbsp; to the green smoothie. With it you will get iron, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin C and others.

Making juices, smoothies and other healthy drinks is one of the most delicious ways to stay healthy and diversify your drinking fluids. No matter which recipe you like, you can always add other superfoods like chia seeds and wheat germ for even more beneficial substances. Along with a good night's sleep and healthy food, healing happens much faster.

Do you get sick often? Here's What Immune Booster Drinks You Can Try

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Бетина Цветкова

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Author: Yana Nencheva, Biochemist, PhD candidate in Biophysics

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The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (1st century BC) names the rosehip "Dog Rose" because he believes that the root of the plant can cure the bite of a rabid dog. Hence the latin name of the plant - Rosa canina.

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Hippocrates also discusses in his writings the benefits of rosehip, but the plant became really famous during World War II, when imports of fresh citrus fruits were stopped in the UK and the government organised grape <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1073704/pdf/jnnpsyc00023-0014.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>picking and rosehip because of its rich vitamin C content. Vitamin C (ascorbate) deficiency poses a serious risk of developing scurvy, which, if left untreated, could even be fatal. Rosehip syrup is an old main source of ascorbic acid, which protected the population from scurvy [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1073704/pdf/jnnpsyc00023-0014.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 1</a>].

Chemical-composition-of-the-rosehip

Chemical composition of the rosehip

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The biochemical composition of roehip depends on the environmental factors where the plant grows. A study on the nutrient composition of Rosa canina seed and oils was conducted in 2002. It makes a comparative analysis of the composition of rosehip fruits in Turkey growing in the regions of Khadim, Tashkent and Ermenek. It was found that the rosehip fruits from Ermenek contain the most iron [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Nutrient_composition_of_rose_Rosa_canina_L_seed_and_oils_12495585" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 2</a>].

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Research worldwide has shown that increased consumption of plant foods that are rich in antioxidants (fruits, vegetables, nuts) reduces the risk of certain chronic diseases. Rosehip ranks among the first in antioxidant activity, along with walnuts (Juglans regia L.) [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/clinical_trial/the_effects_of_walnuts_on_antioxidant_capacity_and_nutritional_status_in_humans_nct00626691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 3</a>].

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Besides <a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/clinical_trial/the_effects_of_walnuts_on_antioxidant_capacity_and_nutritional_status_in_humans_nct00626691" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>a high ascorbic acid content, the rosehip fruit also contains phenols, flavonoids, and possesses antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Bioactive_compounds_and_antioxidant_activity_of_Rosa_canina_L_biotypes_from_spontaneous_flora_of_Transylvania_23618509" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 4</a>].

Benefits-of-rosehip-consumption

Benefits of rosehip consumption

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In addition to the fact that rosehip consumption protects against scurvy, we will look at another 9 great benefits of this marvelous herb.

Against-diabetes-mellitus

1. Against diabetes mellitus

Against-diabetes-mellitus_1_0

Against-diabetes-mellitus_1_1

Amylase <a href="/p/kakva_e_ienzim_i_koienzim_q10_0753d3e3_8aa2_4d4b_8933_5cff5c6c7a2f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"></a>is an enzyme that is responsible for the degradation of starch to saccharides, which are then broken down to glucose. Therefore, pharmaceutical preparations have been developed that inhibit its action in diabetes. Studies have been conducted showing that the rosehip has an inhibitory (suppressive) effect against amylase and therefore supports its antidiabetic administration [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/ANTIOXIDANT_ACTIVITY_AND_A_AMYLASE_INHIBITORY_POTENTIAL_OF_ROSA_CANINA_L_28573216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 4</a>].

Boosts-immunity

2. Boosts immunity

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To check the benefits of rosehip for boosting immunity, the following study was conducted in 2011: standard healthy male rats were divided into three groups. The first (control) group was given saline for 4 consecutive weeks, the second - rosehip extract (250 mg/kg) and the third - twice the amount of rosehip extract (500 mg/kg).

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Detailed blood tests were carried out at the end of each week, including immune markers. The result indicates rosehip can be safely used as a substance with an immunomodulatory effect [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Rosa_canina_L_Fruit_Hydro_Alcoholic_Extract_Effects_on_Some_Immunological_and_Biochemical_Parameters_in_Rats_23678431" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 5</a>]

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Against-hyperuricemia---when-there's-too-much-uric-acid-in-your-blood

3. Against hyperuricemia - when there's too much uric acid in your blood

Against-hyperuricemia---when-there's-too-much-uric-acid-in-your-blood_1_0

Against-hyperuricemia---when-there's-too-much-uric-acid-in-your-blood_1_1

Hyperuricemia occurs when there's too much uric acid in your blood. This may be due to kidney or heart disease and diabetes. Increased uric acid levels may lead to the development of gout [<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hyperuricemia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 6</a>].

Against-hyperuricemia---when-there's-too-much-uric-acid-in-your-blood_1_2

The rosehip fruit is used in traditional medicine to treat metabolic disorders, in particular - problems with urates. However, its effects on such disorders are not described in detail. Therefore, a study in 2017 carried out an experiment with mice, which showed that hot water rosehip extract can be used therapeutically in patients with a high level of urate, as well as in patients with hyperurecemia [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Rosehip_inhibits_xanthine_oxidase_activity_and_reduces_serum_urate_levels_in_a_mouse_model_of_hyperuricemia_28529735" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 7</a>].

Stops-diarrhea

4. Stops diarrhea

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In traditional medicine, rosehip leaf extract is used as a remedy against diarrhea. Therefore, a study was conducted with rodents, in which diarrhea was first induced with the intake of castor oil, and then given rosehip extract to test whether it would stop diarrhea.

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A dose-dependent decrease in gastrointestinal transit has been observed. The researchers concluded that the presence of some phytochemicals in the rosehip leaf extract may be the cause of the observed effects and its use in traditional medicine as a remedy for diarrhea&nbsp;[<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Role_of_the_Rosa_canina_L_leaf_extract_as_an_antidiarrheal_drug_in_rodents_21713098" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 8</a>].

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What is alternative medicine and what are its benefits?

Anticancer-activity-of-rosehip

5. Anticancer activity of rosehip

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It is believed that rosehip has an antitumor effect, and since it is a rich source of vitamin C and polyphenols, it is studied whether fractions containing these two substances inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The fraction with&nbsp; vitamin C did not inhibit the growth of tested tumor cells, unlike polyphenols, which seem to contribute to the herb's antiproliferative activity [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Effect_of_rosehip_Rosa_canina_L_phytochemicals_on_stable_free_radicals_and_human_cancer_cells_22083314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 9</a>].

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Read more:

Anticancer-activity-of-rosehip_1_2

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The-common-cold

6. The common cold

The-common-cold_1_0

The-common-cold_1_1

The effect of vitamin C on the common cold is the subject of a lot of studies and the truth is that the results are fluctuating and do not unequivocally support the thesis that the cold passes faster because of the additional intake of vitamin C.

The-common-cold_1_2

However, experience has shown that vitamin C relieves symptoms. The biochemical explanation for the benefits may be based on its antioxidant action. During an infection, phagocytes are activated and produce oxidizing compounds that are the cause of inflammation. This is a natural reaction of the immune response, which is sometimes undesirable. Reacting with these oxidizers, vitamin C can reduce the inflammatory effects and make you feel better&nbsp;[<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Vitamin_C_and_the_common_cold_1547201" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 10</a>].

Helps-relieve-symptoms-of-respiratory-infections

7. Helps relieve symptoms of respiratory infections

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57 elderly patients with acute respiratory infections (bronchitis and bronchopneumonia) were involved in a study with vitamin C supplementation (200 mg per day). Some of them got a placebo pill and the others received vitamin C. Their condition was reported before and after the intake.

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The result is that oral intake of 200 mg of vitamin C per day results in a significant increase in the concentration of vitamin C in plasma, even in the presence of acute respiratory infection. Using a clinical evaluation system based on the underlying symptoms of the respiratory condition, patients who were taking vitamin C felt significantly better than those with the placebo sample.

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This was particularly true for the severe cases and fot thse who had very low concentrations of vitamin C in plasma before the treatmment. Therefore, this type of research continues, discussing various mechanisms by which vitamin C can be beneficial [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Vitamin_C_supplementation_and_respiratory_infections_a_systematic_review_15605943" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 11</a>].

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Cardiovascular-health

8. Cardiovascular health

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It is considered that the role of antioxidants in the prevention of cardiovascular disease is key, but the evidence for the help of vitamin C in this regard is hesitant.

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<h4>Two reports from 1998 support the role of vitamin C:</h4>

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<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The first study was a 5-year study in Finland. It suggests that people with vitamin C deficiency may be at increased risk of myocardial infarction.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The second study suggests that vitamin C may play a role in preventing coronary artery disease, but not the progression of the disease.</li>
</ul>

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These results provide a boost for further studies [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Vitamin_C_nutriture_and_risk_of_atherosclerotic_heart_disease_9838799" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 12</a>].

Depression-and-psychological-disorders

9. Depression and psychological disorders

Depression-and-psychological-disorders_1_0

In 1978, the level of vitamin C in the blood was studied in 125 patients with <a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Vitamin_C_metabolism_in_patients_with_presenile_psychoses_645320" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a> psychosis. These patients had a deficiency of vitamin C, which does not disappear during treatment, so the author of the analysis then recommended the use of vitamin C in doses of no less than 500 mg daily [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Vitamin_C_metabolism_in_patients_with_presenile_psychoses_645320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 13</a>].

Depression-and-psychological-disorders_1_1

In 2014, another scientific paper on depression was published. It turned out that patients with biochemically depleted vitamin C had significantly stronger symptoms of depression. It was concluded that a large proportion of adult patients with depression had more pronounced symptoms due to a decreased amount of vitamin C [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Poor_vitamin_C_status_is_associated_with_increased_depression_symptoms_following_acute_illness_in_older_people_25835231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 14</a>].

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How-to-consume-rosehip

How to consume rosehip

How-to-consume-rosehip_2_0

How-to-consume-rosehip_2_1

Although rosehip has, as we have listed, numerous health benefits, it is not a panacea, and if it is taken for the purpose of treating any particular disease, then this should be synchronized with your physician. Its rich biochemical composition goes hand in hand with contraindications for people who, for example, have problems with bile, blood clotting and heart.

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However, if you want to consume rosehip for pleasure&nbsp;and prevention - tea and syrup are your options. Research supports traditional rosehip consumption [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Comparative_study_of_biological_activities_and_phytochemical_composition_of_two_rose_hips_and_their_preserves_Rosa_canina_L_and_Rosa_arvensis_Huds_26304428" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.15</a>]. However, with marmalade/rosehip jam, you should be aware that the stomach and intestines may become irritated and swollen. In any case, do not consume it on an empty stomach. The increased content of ascorbic acid can irritate the entire gastrointestinal tract, especially if you have gastritis.

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scurvy

10 superpowers of rosehip and vitamin C