We may not be pirates, but scurvy is on the rise in America.
Ahoy, matey! Limping around pretending you have a peg leg while wearing a patch on your eye isn't an uncommon thing for kids to do when they're playing pirate. The existence of old-timey pirates and all their ailments from living on the sea with scarce food feels so far away it seems like make-believe. But pirates did once exist outside of the blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie franchise, and they did actually have diseases like scurvy.
The Golden Age of Piracy is said to be from 1690-1730, and scurvy was essentially eliminated towards the end of that era once it was discovered to be a vitamin C deficiency. Due to science and improved nutrition information, scurvy has been a thing of the distant past for a long, long time. That is, until recently.
Turns out the deficiency once relegated to pirates with limited access to oranges while they were looting merchants has been making a comeback. One woman is spreading awareness of the return of the nearly forgotten vitamin deficiency after she was recently diagnosed with scurvy after several trips to the doctor.
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In the initial video uploaded to social media, the woman who goes by Thorn is seen dancing to Pink's "We Got Scurvy" while holding a bottle of lemonade. The text overlay of the lighthearted video reads, "just got diagnosed with scurvy in 2024," while the description says, "arr matey gimme that orange." Of course, it's fun to joke about being a pirate, but the reality is, scurvy can be pretty serious if left untreated.
Outside of generally feeling tired and unwell, it can cause bleeding gums, tooth loss, muscle weakness, joint pain, and opening of old wounds. While the issue was once rarely seen in the United States, it is making a comeback, according to the University of Nebraska, and part of the blame for the resurgence is the high cost of living. In Thorn's case, she proclaims to live in a food desert where her only access to food nearby is a local gas station as there are no grocery stores in the area.
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"I got scurvy because I live in a food desert. There are a lot of food deserts in America. The only place that sells food around here is a gas station and no gas stations do not have canned vegetables and mine doesn't even have those little prepackaged meals. It's not that nice of a gas station," Thorn says in response to a comment. "I got scurvy also because my body doesn't absorb nutrients correctly. That's the case for some people and especially when your diet poor living in food deserts or being unable to afford groceries."
Nobody plans on getting scurvy, but with the rise of prices on groceries, it's often more cost effective to get unhealthy foods than to purchase fruits and vegetables. People have been supportive of Thorn, with some sharing tips on how to fight off or avoid getting the condition.
"I haven't lived in a food desert before, but I have been super poor (and before that, I was homeless) in the past, I kept myself alive with prenatal vitamins to make up for my lack of nutrition," one person says before adding, "my bestie suggested that for me and I thank them everyday because at time I was running on fumes and sleep to get by."
"Kumquat tree, it's easy to grow, can stay fairly small, and provide a good amount of vitamin C. Not a quick solution. But being able to grow your own food is going to be me the only answer," someone suggests.
"We live in a food desert here in Alaska. the little store is filled with rotten fruit and veggies and the gas station doesn't have healthy food either. closest grocery store is an hour and a half away," someone else chimes in.
"Canada is struggling with scurvy too. Fruit and veggies are so expensive," another shares.
Stores being 30 minutes to an hour away may not sound like a problem for some people, but for those without cars it can be nearly impossible to get to the store. It's also unlikely in towns that are considered a food desert to have any sort of public transportation including private services like Uber. Private drivers rely on having a moderate request volume in an area to make the trip worthwhile, which is why it's easy to grab an Uber at a busy airport but not so much when you're out in the middle of nowhere.
But no matter the cause, the rise in scurvy is concerning. Increasing your intake of foods fortified with vitamins and taking multivitamins can help decrease the likelihood of developing the 17th century health issue. Drink your orange juice. Fight off scurvy.
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When the parents don't even know about it, that's a successful surprise party.