The Diet Decision That Brought James Blunt Scurvy Trouble

BuzzSeptember 2, 2020

Imagine that you decide to change your diet, believing that it will dramatically boost your health. Then, after a few weeks, you get the surprise of your life when you start feeling extreme fatigue and possibly, bleeding in the gums. If that happens to you, my friend, you should know that you’ve got scurvy – the disease that afflicted the famous singer James Blunt!

Jezebel | James Blunt revealed in an interview that he got scurvy after sticking to an all-meat diet

James Blunt reveals his scurvy issues

According to his interview on singer Jessie’s Ware’s podcast, Table Manners, James said that in the nineties, he’d decided to change his diet to all-meat. While he did it with the thought of improving his health, the tables turned, and the singer caught the characteristic of sailors. And no, it wasn’t the love of the sea or the skills of sailing; it was scurvy.

Though it may be entertaining to read about celeb issues, what this particular instance highlighted was the importance of understanding the side-effects of what we eat. And, of course, it made the world look at scurvy in a whole new light.

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So, what is scurvy all about?

Scurvy is known as sailors’ disease, and there’s a very logical explanation for that. It arises from complete dependence on meat in the diet. Though it may sound not bad, because of the deficit of vitamin C in meat, sticking to just meat for all meals leads to its deficiency.

Healthline | Having only meat in all meals leads to a severe Vitamin C deficiency, and that causes Scurvy

Since sailors traditionally spent weeks eating only fish, this disease initially spread to them. In the eighteenth century, scurvy was called “the plague of the sea.” It was known to cause the deaths of complete crews due to a lack of vitamin C intake during long sails.

And if you’re still not convinced about how peculiar this disease is, check out its symptoms – fatigue, anemia, joint and muscle pain, painful bruising, weak connective tissues, delayed wound healing, bleeding gums, and falling teeth! Scurvy can cause death if left untreated. Bet you’re a little scared now, huh?

Read – How much meat is too much meat?

In 1928, Hungarian biochemist Albert Györgyi separated vitamin C from plant juices and secretions from the adrenal glands (adjacent to the kidneys). This vitamin, which has now become known as ascorbic acid, was identified as a curative agent for scurvy four years later.

The German Nutrition Association indicates that an adequate daily dose of the vitamin is 110 milligrams for men and 95 milligrams for women. Such amounts can be obtained by eating half a red pepper or one orange.

That proves that whatever you do, don’t miss out on your vitamins!

Wrapping It Up

Remember that changing the diet is a sensitive decision that can impact your health drastically. That’s why it’s not a decision you should make on your own. You should always take the advice of a dietitian, because if you make the wrong food choices, it may reflect on you in all different ways.