By Brent Hauver

If you are ever tempted to doubt the power of good nutrition, I would ask you to remember pirates. Pirates defied all the legal powers of their day and rightfully claimed the title “Scourge of the High Seas.” Entire nations and their navies trembled at the sight of a pirate ship, and yet even these hardened villains were no match for vitamin deficiency. Hardened, intrepid pirates grew pale in the face of scurvy. For hundreds of years, scurvy was the plague of long-distance sailors, soldiers, explorers and degenerate pirates. Scurvy is a serious deficiency of vitamin C that has caused tremendous human suffering throughout history. However, it was not until the eighteenth century that a cure was discovered – Citrus Fruit!

Citrus fruits have long been valued as being delicious. The flavors provided by citrus are among the most preferred in the world, but citrus fruit offers more than good taste, they are also good for health. Citrus is most commonly associated with a good source of vitamin C. However, like most other whole foods, citrus fruits also contain an impressive list of other essential nutrients, including carbohydrate (sugars and fibre), potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and a variety of phytochemicals. In addition, citrus contains no fat or sodium and, being a plant food, no cholesterol. The average energy value of fresh citrus is also low, which can be very important for anyone concerned about putting on excess weight. So, yes, citrus fruit is high in vitamin C, but now they are beginning to be appreciated for other biologically active compounds.

Carbohydrate – The main energy-yielding nutrient in citrus is carbohydrate. Citrus contains the simple carbohydrates (sugars) fructose, glucose and sucrose, as well as citric acid which can also provide a small amount of energy. Citrus fruits also contains dietary fiber, which is a complex carbohydrate with important health benefits. Dietary fiber retainswater-soluble nutrients in a gel matrix which slows digestion and absorption. This tends to promote satiety or feeling full, and helps to prevent a surge in blood glucose levels.

Folate – Folate is a water-soluble vitamin essential for new cell production and growth. It helps in the production of DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) and mature red blood cells, which ultimately prevent anaemia.

Potassium – Potassium is an essential mineral that works to maintain the body’s water and acid balance. As an important electrolyte, it plays a role in transmitting nerve impulses to muscles, in muscle contraction and in the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

Phytochemicals – These naturally occurring compounds found in plants have a wide range of physiological effects and may help to protect against various chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

Research has even linked citrus foods with reducing the risk, or slowing the progression, of several serious diseases and disorders.

Cardiovascular disease – Epidemiological studies have also shown a significant association between vitamin C intake and protection against cardiovascular mortality, but the precise mechanism of protection is still unclear.

Cancer – There is reasonable scientific support for vitamin C’s protective role in cancer. Many of the animal, cell culture and human studies have suggested it has a positive effect.

Neural tube defects – During the first stage of pregnancy, adequate folate intake is critical for reducing the risk of severe birth defects, namely spina bifida and anencephaly.

Anemia – Worldwide, anemia is one of the most serious nutrient-related public health problems, resulting in poor growth, impaired psychomotor development, reduced physical performance and decreased cognitive function. Consuming citrus fruits rich in vitamin C can help prevent anemia and its devastating consequences.

The lesson taken from the piratesis still important today, fresh fruits and vegetables are necessary. Pirates did not know that it was the vitamin C that cured the scurvy. They only knew that they had to eat citrus fruit to stay healthy. You do not need to understand everything about individual nutrients in order to consume nutritionally adequate and well-balanced diets. Even though the current understanding of nutrition, health and disease has advanced well beyond nutrient deficiencies, there is still much that is not known. Fortunately, however, with a bit of common sense, people can still be well nourished even though the understanding of nutritional science may be incomplete.

Brent Hauver is a Holistic Health Researcher who owns and operates Sage Health and Empowerment Center in Overton, NV.