Rising Food Insecurity Leading to Scurvy Cases in Canada

Canadian doctors are being alerted to watch for scurvy, a disease once associated with sailors, due to rising food insecurity. A recent case study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal highlights a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with scurvy in Toronto. She lived on a diet of canned soup, tuna, white bread, and processed cheese, lacking fresh produce.

Scurvy results from severe vitamin C deficiency. Symptoms include fatigue, bruising, bleeding gums, and red hair follicles. Untreated, it can lead to internal bleeding and death. The study emphasizes that scurvy is not an archaic diagnosis, noting 52 hospitalized patients with low vitamin C levels between 2009 and 2017, 13 of whom were diagnosed with scurvy.

Food insecurity, driven by low income, forces people to skip meals or eat nutritionally poor food. Recent U.S. research shows a tripling of scurvy cases among children from 2016 to 2020. In the U.K., studies reveal vitamin C deficiencies in low-income households.

Health professionals warn that food insecurity exacerbates chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and mental health conditions. Statistics Canada reports 16.9% of Canadians faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2022, up from 12.9% in 2021.

This article underscores the need for doctors to consider scurvy, especially among vulnerable populations, and highlights the broader health impacts of food insecurity.