Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example

Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example

Question One

1. Scurvy: The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today

The article describes scurvy, its history, symptoms, prevention, and treatment. Scurvy is associated with Vitamin C deficiency. According to the article, most animals can produce vitamin C. However, others, including primates like humans, cannot produce their Vitamin C because the gene responsible for it is non-functional, and they have to acquire vitamin C from fruits and vegetables.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Scurvy was not widespread before the 1800s despite the potential mutation of the gene responsible for making vitamin C, making it non-functional. Our ancestors lived in places rich in fruits and vegetables, and possibilities for developing scurvy went unnoticed. However, a shift into areas with little or no fruits and vegetables increased the prevalence of scurvy. It was associated with sailors during the crusades and from the 1800s who sailed long distances without fresh foods and vegetables.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Scurvy causes swelling of gums, bleeding and loosening of teeth at their roots, and joint and muscle breakout. Left untreated for a long time, symptoms persist and worsen, leading to death. Fruits and vegetables have proven to prevent and heal scurvy. Scurvy is still present in areas with limited access to foods rich in Vitamin C.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)  

Scurvy is a condition that develops after extended periods without food rich in Vitamin C. It took a long to discover that Vitamin C deficiency was the cause of scurvy because our ancestors lived in areas rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. They had a consistent supply of vitamin C.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

• More than half your body is not human

According to the article, the human body is more microbiome than human. The body contains 43% human cells and more than 50% microscopic colonies, begging the question of what it means to be human. Research shows that microbiomes are essential to our health. Their understanding is transforming the understanding of various diseases like allergies and Parkinson’s. (Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

The microscopic creatures making more than half of our body include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archaea. The majority live in oxygen-deprived bowels. The microbiome genes present the second genome that augments the activities of the human genes. Humans are made by a combination of their DNA plus that of gut microbes.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

The microbial material interacts with and affects the human body. They engage in digestion, immune system regulation, disease protection, and manufacturing vital vitamins. Throughout history, humans have understood microbiome as bad guys and adopted the approach of vaccines and other interventions to clear them from the system. However, research shows that a lack of a specific microbiome can cause diseases like depression, inflammatory bowel disease, and autism, and we are now discovering ways to treat such diseases using microbial materials. (Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Bugs as drugs mean using microbes as new forms of medicine. Research results indicate that a growing microbiome in healthy patients can help heal or prevent illnesses. Research is still limited to animals.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

It is exciting and astonishing that human cells do not even make up half of the human body. Microbial materials are more essential to the body than thought before. The lack of certain microbial materials in the body can cause specific illnesses like autism and depression.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Question Two

1. Denial By Parents, Kids Contributes to Childhood Obesity

The article is about the pretense that people are just at their ideal weight when, in reality, they are overweight or obese. Calling someone fat is considered abusive or discriminative today, even though the individual is overweight or obese. Individuals are hiding from reality by creating a new normal or using kinder words to protect people’s conscience of themselves. Surprisingly, people would consider themselves as of the right weight to escape recommendations to lose weight.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

The article points out that people are living a lie, which is dangerous, especially among vulnerable children with less information about their health. Children are getting heavier in America. However, most parents with overweight and obese children perceive them as of the right weight. This perception makes them lazy to promote healthy lifestyles among their children.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

The fact that two-thirds of Americans think their weight is about right is the same percentage of people who are overweight or obese is enlightening. Research shows that an individual’s ideal weight increases with the actual weight. It is interesting to know that people convince themselves to have a healthy weight and live with the perception for the rest of their lives.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Interestingly, 95% of parents consider their overweight child just about the right weight. Also, 78.4% of parents perceive their obese child as just about the right weight. This dangerous game prevents them from encouraging children to adopt healthy lifestyles to manage their weight within healthy limits.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

• Diet showdown: Keto versus the Mediterranean. Which won? 

Keto diet

Keto describes a diet that reduces carbohydrate intake significantly to about 50 grams daily. Research shows that the keto diet is associated with short-term blood sugar improvement. Keto proponents claim it reduces appetite, decreases abdominal fat, and elevates mental sharpness. In the study, keto was linked to reduced triglycerides. However, it was associated with increased LDL cholesterol and decreased intake of vitamins, phosphorus, thiamine, and fiber. (Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)  

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is associated with the intake of huge amounts of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, lentils, and whole grains. Research indicates that this diet reduces the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, and breast cancer and leads to weight loss, stronger bones, a healthier heart, and longer life. The study indicated that the Mediterranean diet decreased LDL cholesterol by 5%. It was associated with fewer long-term health impacts. The diet is easier to maintain.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

The Winner

The Mediterranean diet emerges as the winner in the study. It helps lower LDL cholesterol levels by 5%, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Mediterranean diet was associated with fewer long-term health impacts, unlike the Keto diet, which increased LDL cholesterol by 10% and decreased intake of vital nutrients and minerals like thiamine, vitamins B6, C, D, and E, phosphorus, and fiber. Long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet is more effortless. Most people continued eating the Mediterranean diet after the study.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Question Three

CBS 60 Minutes Science of Sleep

Part 1

The researchers point out that sleep is critical based on studies showing rats died from sleep deprivation. Different animals have varying periods of sleep a day. Sleep is more important than concerns about being unconscious and vulnerable while sleeping. Sleep deprivation is associated with poor academic performance. Research shows that enough sleep enhances memory.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Lack of enough sleep or chronic partial sleep deprivation impairs an individual’s ability to think and remember things. The cognitive ability is hurt by lack of enough sleep if sleep is the primary determinant of cognitive ability because research shows other factors are also influential, including physical activities and substances like caffeine. Lack of enough sleep affects alertness and reaction time. For instance, driving drowsy is among the leading causes of car accidents. Sudden sleep attacks occur within seconds, even when the eyes are open.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Inadequate sleep is associated with significant accidents such as the Staten Island ferry, Exxon Valdez spill, Chornobyl, and Three Mile Island accidents. Poor judgment and slow reactions are associated with fatigue linked to poor or inadequate sleep. People believe they adapt to sleeping less but are less aware of the limitation associated with the “adaptation.” Sleep deprivation is also associated with mood swings and giddiness. Enough sleep leads to a controlled response in the emotional brain centers that helps orient people appropriately, playing a significant role in mental health.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Interestingly, people want to sleep less to do more. Fewer people are aware of the significance of adequate sleep and the limitations when they do not sleep adequately. Research shows that there is no adaptation to sleeping fewer hours. People should sleep adequately to promote memory, cognitive ability, appropriate emotional response, quick reaction time, and mental health.   (Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

CBS 60 minutes Science of Sleep 

Part 2

Research shows that by all measures, people are sleeping less than ever before. By doing so, they are putting themselves in a perilous situation. Inadequate sleep is associated with diabetes. In just six days of deprived sleep, individuals were already in a prediabetes state. They were hungrier, a trend associated with low levels of leptin hormone.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Short sleep time is associated with cardiovascular diseases like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Sleep deprivation is common among humans and is considered stress to the body. The culture of appreciating less sleep as healthy and a norm is not healthy. People are exhausted from lack of sleep. It shows that when they fall asleep immediately, they settle somewhere like in a plane during the day, which researchers paint as abnormal. (Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)   

The quality of sleep matters as much as the quantity of sleep. According to research, deep sleep is lost at a very young age. Lack of deep sleep is associated with a hungrier body unable to metabolize sugar effectively, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Sleep deprivation is a risk factor for diabetes. Therefore, adding to diet and exercise, sleep is crucial to a healthy body. Sleep deprivation also affects mating based on the Drosophila experiment where the sleep-deprived male does not mate almost entirely.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

In today’s society, people want to sleep less. However, it is interesting that research associated the quantity and quality of sleep with health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. It is also associated with matching interest and ability. This information enlightens people on the importance of sleep to their health and quality of life.(Scurvy-The Scourge of the High Seas Remains at Large Today Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example) 

Reference

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/