FOXNews Health | 10 hours ago | Health
Australian health experts have issued a warning about the potential risks of using specific weight-loss medications called GLP-1. These drugs, they caution, may indirectly lead to scurvy, a disease largely connected to pirates and sailors of the past due to their vitamin C deficient diets. Scurvy is a disorder that arises when an individual has prolonged insufficient intake of vitamin C, leading to symptoms such as weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin hemorrhages.
The connection between GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and scurvy appears to be indirectly related to usage. The concern of health researchers is that GLP-1 drugs may lead to poor nutrition as they function by slowing the emptying of the stomach, which reduces appetite and caloric intake. Due to this decrease in ingestion, significant nutritional deficiencies may occur, including a lack of necessary vitamin C.
Vitamin C is essential for numerous bodily functions, including forming blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and collagen in bones. It is also necessary for wound healing and repairing and maintaining teeth and bones. Lack of vitamin C, therefore, can have a severe impact on an individual's overall health and well-being.
In summary, Australian health experts advise caution while using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs due to the risk they pose for causing vitamin C deficiency, and by extension, scurvy. Since these drugs disrupt normal dietary habits and reduce intake, they can also lead to poor nutrition overall. Given the essential role of Vitamin C in maintaining various bodily functions, its insufficient intake due to these drugs' usage could have potentially serious health consequences.