#vitamin c deficiency causes

[nourishnest]

Vitamin D deficiency: Don't ignore these warning signs

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being. However, despite its importance, many people around the world are not getting enough of this vitamin. This can lead to a deficiency, which can have serious consequences if left untreated. But how do you tell if you have a vitamin D deficiency? Identifying early symptoms is crucial in preventing potential health issues. In this blog post, we will discuss the warning signs that may indicate a deficiency in vitamin D and how to address it before it's too late.

Understanding Vitamin D and Its Importance

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for numerous bodily functions. It plays a crucial role in maintaining strong bones and teeth, as it helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus from the diet. In addition to its role in bone health, vitamin D is also important for a healthy immune system and proper muscle function.

The main source of vitamin D is sunlight. When your skin is exposed to the sun's UV rays, it produces vitamin D. However, factors such as geographical location, time of year, and skin color can affect how much vitamin D your body is able to produce. This is why many people rely on dietary sources, such as fatty fish, fortified dairy products, and supplements, to meet their vitamin D needs.

Deficiency in vitamin D can lead to a range of health issues. In children, it can cause rickets, a condition characterized by weak and soft bones. In adults, a deficiency can increase the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that weakens the bones and makes them more prone to fractures. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to an increased risk of autoimmune diseases, certain types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Understanding the importance of vitamin D is essential in ensuring optimal health. By maintaining adequate levels of this vitamin, you can support bone health, boost your immune system, and lower your risk of developing various chronic diseases. In the next sections, we will explore the causes, warning signs, and treatment options for vitamin D deficiency.

Uncovering the Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency can occur for a variety of reasons. One of the main causes is a lack of sunlight exposure. As mentioned earlier, sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, and when your skin is exposed to the sun's UV rays, it triggers the production of this essential nutrient. However, factors such as living in a northern latitude, spending most of your time indoors, or wearing sunscreen can hinder this natural process and lead to a deficiency.

Another common cause of vitamin D deficiency is a lack of dietary intake. While sunlight is the main source, certain foods also contain vitamin D. Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, fortified dairy products, and eggs are examples of dietary sources. However, if your diet does not include these foods regularly, you may not be getting enough vitamin D from your meals.

Certain health conditions can also contribute to a vitamin D deficiency. Digestive disorders, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease, can affect the absorption of vitamin D from the diet. Additionally, obesity and certain medications, such as glucocorticoids or anticonvulsants, can interfere with vitamin D metabolism and result in lower levels.

Lastly, aging can also play a role in vitamin D deficiency. As we get older, our skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D, and our kidneys may have a reduced ability to convert vitamin D into its active form. This can lead to lower levels of vitamin D in the body.

Understanding the various causes of vitamin D deficiency is crucial in addressing the issue and preventing further complications. By identifying the underlying factors, you can take the necessary steps to improve your vitamin D levels and ensure optimal health.

Recognizing the Warning Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency

While a vitamin D deficiency may not always show obvious symptoms, there are certain warning signs that you should be aware of. Paying attention to these signs can help you identify a potential deficiency and take necessary action to address it.

One of the most common signs of vitamin D deficiency is fatigue or excessive tiredness. If you find yourself feeling exhausted even after getting enough sleep, it could be a result of low vitamin D levels. Another warning sign to look out for is frequent illness or infections. Vitamin D plays a vital role in supporting a healthy immune system, so a deficiency can weaken your body's defenses against infections.

Muscle weakness and bone pain can also be indicators of a vitamin D deficiency. Since this vitamin is crucial for maintaining strong bones and muscles, a lack of it can result in discomfort and weakness. Additionally, depression and mood swings have been linked to low vitamin D levels. Studies have found that people with vitamin D deficiencies are more prone to experiencing symptoms of depression.

If you notice any of these warning signs, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional. They can perform a blood test to check your vitamin D levels and recommend appropriate treatment if a deficiency is detected.

In the next section, we will discuss the diagnosis and treatment options for vitamin D deficiency, so stay tuned for more information on how to address this issue and improve your overall health.

Diagnosing and Treating Vitamin D Deficiency

Diagnosing and treating vitamin D deficiency is crucial in order to address the issue and improve overall health. The first step in the diagnosis process is to consult with a healthcare professional. They will conduct a blood test to measure your vitamin D levels. This test, known as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test, is the most accurate way to determine if you have a deficiency.

Once the results are in, your healthcare professional will discuss the best course of treatment for your specific situation. Treatment options for vitamin D deficiency typically involve increasing your vitamin D intake through a combination of sunlight exposure, dietary changes, and supplementation.

If sunlight exposure is limited, your healthcare professional may recommend spending more time outdoors or using artificial ultraviolet (UV) light therapy. In terms of dietary changes, they may advise incorporating more vitamin D-rich foods into your diet, such as fatty fish, fortified dairy products, and eggs. If dietary changes are not enough, they may recommend vitamin D supplements to ensure you are getting enough of this essential nutrient.

It is important to follow your healthcare professional's guidance and regularly monitor your vitamin D levels to ensure they are within the optimal range. With proper diagnosis and treatment, you can effectively address a vitamin D deficiency and improve your overall health and well-being.

Lifestyle Changes to Improve Vitamin D Levels

Making lifestyle changes can be a great way to improve your vitamin D levels and support overall health. Here are some practical steps you can take to increase your vitamin D intake:

1. Spend time outdoors: One of the best ways to boost your vitamin D levels is by getting regular exposure to sunlight. Aim for around 15-30 minutes of direct sunlight on your face, arms, and legs a few times a week. However, be mindful of the sun's harmful rays and take precautions to protect your skin, such as using sunscreen or seeking shade during peak hours.

2. Adjust your diet: Incorporating vitamin D-rich foods into your diet can also help improve your levels. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are excellent sources of vitamin D. You can also include fortified dairy products like milk and yogurt, as well as eggs, in your meals. Consider adding these foods to your shopping list to ensure you're getting enough vitamin D from your diet.

3. Consider supplements: If sunlight exposure and dietary changes aren't enough, your healthcare professional may recommend vitamin D supplements. These can be an effective way to boost your levels, especially if you have a severe deficiency. However, it's important to follow your healthcare professional's guidance and take the recommended dosage.

4. Get regular exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity has been shown to support vitamin D metabolism and absorption. Incorporating activities like walking, jogging, or cycling into your routine can not only help you get some sunlight exposure but also promote overall health and well-being.

Remember, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant lifestyle changes or starting any new supplements. They can provide personalized recommendations based on your specific needs and ensure that you're on the right track to improving your vitamin D levels.

[scurvioli]

Todays fun fact is that rats cannot contract scurvy

[unboundprompts]

Pirate Terms and Phrases

-> Pirate Lingo

-> A Pirate's Glossary

Batten Down The Hatches - tie everything down and put stuff away for a coming storm.

Brig - a prison on a ship.

Bring a Spring Upon 'er - turn the ship in a different direction

Broadside - the most vulnerable angle of a ship that runs the length of the boat.

Cutlass - a thick, heavy and rather short sword blade.

Dance with Jack Ketch - to hang; death at the hands of the law (Jack Ketch was a famed English executioner).

Davy Jones's Locker - a mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where drowned sailors are said to go.

Dead Men Tell No Tales - the reason given for leaving no survivors.

Flogging - severe beating of a person.

Gangplank - removable ramp between the pier and ship.

Give No Quarter - show no mercy.

Jack - flag flown at the front of the ship to show nationality.

Jolly Roger - black pirate flag with a white skull and crossbones.

Keelhaul - a punishment where someone is dragged under the ship. They are cut by the planks and barnacles on the bottom of the ship.

Landlubber - an inexperienced or clumsy person who doesn't have any sailing skills.

Letters of Marque - government-issued letters allowing privateers the right to piracy of another ship during wartime.

Man-O-War - a pirate ship that is decked out and prepared for battle.

Maroon - to leave someone stranded on a. deserted island with no supplies, typically a punishment for any crew members who disrespected the captain.

Mutiny - a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes by forcibly removing the old one.

No Prey, No Pay - a common pirate law that meant crew members were not paid, but rather received a share of whatever loot was taken.

Old Salt - experienced pirate or sailor.

Pillage - to steal/rob a place using violence.

Powder Monkeys - men that performed the most dangerous work on the ship. They were treated harshly, rarely paid, and were expendable.

Privateer - government-appointed pirates.

Run A Shot Across the Bow - fire a warning shot at another boat's Captain.

Scurvy - a disease caused by Vitamin C Deficiency.

Sea Legs - when a sailor adjusts his balance from riding on a boat for a long time.

Strike Colors - lower a ship's flag to indicate surrender.

Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen - an order to the crew to pull up the anchor and get the ship sailing.

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[moonstruckme]

spencer reid waking up the next morning and reader's chest is cOVERED in hickies/bruises and he is freaked out and is so sorry that he hurt reader, and she has to talk him off a ledge bc she just bruises easily? thank you!

Thanks for requesting!

Spencer Reid x fem!reader ♡ 728 words

Spencer’s wanted to get you like this forever. In his apartment, in his bed, with the pale morning light washing over your features. Your face is all smoothed out, placid and pretty against his pillowcase. Your eyelids twitch as you dream. Spencer’s never put as much stock into dreams as some other psychologists, but he really wants to know what you dream about. He hopes you remember enough to tell him. 

You stir a bit, rolling onto your back and letting the covers slip down from where you’ve been holding them tucked them underneath your chin. Spencer’s chest warms at the sleepy movement, but he pauses at the mark that’s revealed just above your collarbone. The bruise is stark and angry in the early sunlight, red turning to purple. Spencer’s heart contracts. Is that from him? He doesn’t remember treating you so cruelly. 

He holds his breath, brushing gently over the spot with his forefinger. It has to hurt. How could he have done something like this without knowing? He remembers kissing you there, sucking a little, but nothing that would leave a mark like this. 

You shift at the touch, and the sheet falls another few inches. Two more, one on your shoulder and another just below the first. Spencer sucks in a breath. 

You hum and roll towards him, eyelids peeling open. “Spence?” 

Spencer’s working the sheet out from under your arm, trying to get another look at the bruises. Trying to prove to himself that he did actually see them. 

“Spence,” you say again, groggily. “What’re you doing?” 

“Sorry I—” He lets the sheet go, trying to collect himself. “I just—I saw the hickeys, from last night, and I—”

“Oh, are they bad?” You push yourself upright, letting the sheet fall away completely. 

Spencer is aghast. He’s lost for words. He needs to be thrown into federal prison. 

Bruises cover your chest. Your collarbones, your breasts, the undersides of your breasts, your shoulders—all of it. Spencer doesn’t recall marking you up so thoroughly. He hardly recalls kissing you in half these places. 

“Oh my god.” He looks at your eyes, repentant. “Sweetheart, I had no idea I was being this rough with you. I’m so sorry.” 

“Spence,” you laugh. “It’s okay.” 

“You should have said something if I was hurting you. I never want to do anything like—”

“Hey,” you cut him off, and you’re still smiling, which he thinks is really rather inappropriate. He’s desecrated you. “It didn’t hurt, okay? I was fine, and I’m still fine. I just bruise really easily.” 

Spencer feels his eyebrows bunch disbelievingly. “This easily? These look like they could have been done with a pellet gun.” 

You shrug, looking a bit bashful as you pull your shoulders up around you. He’s willing to bet you’re fighting the urge to cover yourself with the sheet.

He covers one of the marks on your shoulder with his thumb, watching your face carefully. “Does this hurt?” he asks, pressing on it gently. 

Your eyelashes don’t so much as flicker. “No,” you say honestly. 

Spencer feels like his chest might collapse in relief. “Jesus. That really scared me,” he admits. 

Your lips twitch. “Yeah, I could tell. Sorry for freaking you out.” 

“Sorry for defacing you,” he responds, pressing an especially gentle kiss to the side of your neck. “And for waking you up with my freak out.” 

You let your smile bloom, bright and endearingly kind. “I don’t mind,” you say.

Spencer analyzes you, contemplative. “You know, that sort of bruising could be caused by an iron deficiency. Or a lack of vitamin C.” 

“Mhm?” You’re completely uninterested, leaning forwards to kiss his chin. You nose at the stubble on his cheek. 

“How would you feel about having some spinach in your eggs?” 

You sit back. “You’re going to make me eggs?” 

“Well,” Spencer smiles sheepishly, “first we have to go to the store for spinach and eggs, and then yes. If you want, I’d be happy to make you eggs.” 

“Okay,” you say breezily, swinging your legs out of the bed, “but if you’re only doing it so I’ll stop bruising, you should taper your expectations.”

“There’s no way I’m letting this happen again,” he says. “I can’t mark you up every time I kiss you.”

You hum. “I never said I minded.” 

“I mind.” 

“Well, to each their own.”

[enmi-land]

౨ৎ ROUGH PATCH

──── 𝗂𝗍 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇’𝗍 𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖺’𝗌 𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗄.

2024 pairing. poly!ot7엔하 x fem!member oc cw. illness & injury, fan mobbing, claustrophobia, brief mention of suspected violence, not proofread req. mila hiding bruises from the boys. ❨ back to LIBRARY ?! ❩

IT WAS LIKE DEJA VU. Mila had foolishly that maybe she would be able to go one day without the feeling of being suffocated — without feeling like her head was held underwater and her hands were tied behind her back. She hadn’t learned her lesson: to never underestimate the power of her fans.

“Out of the way!” Mila’s manager held an arm around her shoulder, keeping her as close as possible to avoid the hands that reached out to her. And yet, it was fruitless — she could feel them on her clothes, on her hair, any part of her that they could touch. She jolted when one of them landed dangerously low on her back, and she resisted the urge to cry as another managed to grab her arm with a death grip, before her manager was able to pull her away.

There was no room to breathe. The parking lot felt no bigger than an elevator, with people crowding her and her staff in from all sides. A flash of a camera caused her to flinch, and the sounds of people screaming her name overlapped each other and became loud ringing in her ears. The heat of her body was not cooled by the perspiration that slid down the skin of her neck and face, but instead served to suffocate her more as it dampened her clothes. Her limbs felt like lead weighing her down and even breathing became difficult to do.

Mila could feel her eyelids start to drop. Her manager’s arm tightened around her as her legs became weak, threatening to buckle under her weight.

How ironic, she thought. She came to the doctor’s to get better, but it looked like doing so was only going to make her health worse.

“Move out of the way! Get away!”

Mila stumbled as fans pushed into each other, before tripping over each other’s limbs and falling to the asphalt. There was more screaming and flashing cameras, but at least this time Mila was able to see the company van through the mob, just a few feet away. She could make it. She just had to hold on a little bit longer.

But she could feel herself slipping away, black spots covering her vision, her breaths short and shallow. She could vaguely hear the sound of her manager was opening the door, covering her back as she stepped into the vehicle and telling her something. But she couldn’t quite make out the words, his voice muffled like she was underwater and water was filling her ears. It took everything in her just to make the step into the backseat, before she was collapsing onto the leather seat.

The last thing Mila saw before she let her eyes fall shut was the sight of flashing cameras, against the tinted windows, and the screams of her name.

By the time Mila woke up, it was to the sound of muffled voices and the feeling of someone softly caressing her hair.

“What did the doctor say?” came Kiara’s voice.

A sigh that Mila recognised as her manager’s followed his question. “She’s feeling weak from over exertion. She has a Vitamin C deficiency, which is why she’s alway getting tired recently…”

Heeseung exhaled deeply through his nose. “And what about those people who crowded her at the doctor’s building? What happened to them?”

There was a pause. “You know we can’t do anything about them.”

“What sort of bullsh—”

Mila chose that moment to let her eyes flutter open to see Jongseong’s gentle eyes as they regarded her awakened state. “Hi, Angel.”

Mila groaned, unable to form words. Before she could say anything, Jongseong was being nudged aside by Heeseung, who took his place by her bedside, eyes full of worry as his hand gently cradled her face. In another situation. “How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Mila furrowed her eyebrows. Ah, Mila thought. Right. She had been mobbed by a group of fans at her doctor’s appointment, which the public should have even been aware of. She took a second to gather her surroundings: she was in her room and lying in bed, meaning she must have been carried inside. She still felt heavy, but at least the migraine from when she was being surrounded by manic fans had subsided. She could acutely feel pain in her limbs, but she brushed it off as being a side effect of overexerting herself.

She shook her head, smiling gently at the older male. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Heeseung sighed in relief, before bidding his head. “Okay. Then gets me sleep, okay? I’ll be here with Jongseong if you need anything.”

Mila hummed. But she couldn’t muster the strength to reply. It didn’t even take a second after she closed her eyes before she fell into darkness again. But even then, she could still recognise the voices of her boyfriends and her eonnie as they spoke to each other.

“I should have gone with her…”

“You couldn’t have known what was going to happen, Heeseung-ah. Don’t blame yourself.”

Mila wanted to agree, to reassure him and let him know that he wasn’t to blame — that Mila was simply having a bad day. But she couldn’t. She was already fading into deep slumber before she could utter a word.

Mila was alone when she opened her eyes again. But she couldn’t feel upset about it — not when pain shot up her limbs when she tried to sit up, an ache spreading through her body. She winced, clutching her side, only to flinch back when the pressure caused another age of pain to shoot up her body.

“What even?” Mila cursed as she lifted her top, only to spot a large purple bruise blooming across her ribs. Figures. Her Vitamin C deficiency would have made her vulnerable to bruising, and the fan mobbing from earlier was more than enough stimulus to cause injury — what, with all the limbs falling everywhere as she tried to make her way through the crowd, barely conscious.

She pulled up her pyjama sleeve. More bruises. She pulled up the leg of her pants — and of course, there were even more. And when she looked at the spots, she could still feel the phantom touches lingering on her — especially the ones that had gotten too close for comfort. It was like there wasn’t a single part of her body that remained unaffected by the wondering hands of total strangers that were doing everything in their power to get as close as physically possible.

And for what? What could they have possibly gained from it? (She shuddered to think about what would happen if there was someone there with evil intentions.)

Mila sighed. She thought she would have been more frustrated… But she couldn’t even find the strength to do so. All she could do was lie back down on her pillows, staring up at the ceiling as she pondered her situation.

It seemed like nothing was going her way these past few days. She had back to back promotions to attend to, including filming for a variety show and a radio talk show, followed immediately by an opening event, and then another photoshoot for her brand endorsements. She barely managed to make it through the past week, but now the exhaustion she felt from constantly working, day in and day out, caught up to her, and she found herself unable to even lift a spoon without faltering.

It was frustrating. Not being able to do what she usually did, feeling helpless as she watched her boyfriends run around and attempt to assist her with duties that she should have been able to do on her own. But it was even more annoying after today, hearing Heeseung blame himself for something that was never his fault.

She wished that she hadn’t gotten sick in the first place. She wished that she’d have been more resilient. But now she was causing everyone to worry about her, and she didn’t even want to think about what would happen if they found out about the bruises that were littered across her skin.

“Who is it?” Mila squinted her eyes. She woke up in the middle of the night when she felt another figure slip into her bed, before arms wrapped around her. She smiled when she realised who it was. “It’s just me.”

“It’s just me,” Riki whispered. “The hyungs said not to disturb you but I missed you.”

Mila hummed as she reached up and caressed the top of the younger male’s head, doing her best to make sure his arms didn’t come into contact with her bruises. It had been a while since she was able to cuddle, and she admitted that she missed the warmth that the tall boy provided.

“Are you doing okay?”

Mila nodded, biting back a wince when Riki hugged her closer to him. “I’m fine.”

But it wasn’t. Not really. And there was only so long before it became obvious.

“Yah, what’s this?” Mila was jolted out of her thoughts when a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling up the sleeve of her jumper to reveal spots of blue littered across the length of her pale skin. Sunghoon’s eyebrows furrowed, his eyes snapping to Mila’s for an explanation. “Where did this come from?”

Mila had been careful not to let anyone see the injuries that she discovered on herself, and she had thought she would at least be able to keep up the act until they faded. But as it happened, it hadn’t even been a day. And really, she should have expected as much — nothing escaped her boyfriend’s notice when it came to her. It only took her flinching slightly when Sunghoon gently squeezed her bicep before his eyes had narrowed in suspicion.

Mila opened her mouth to explain, not wanting him to worry, but instead, she ended up getting cut off by someone else.

“What’s wrong?” Jungwon peered over Sunghoon’s shoulder, before gasping, his eyes widening in shock. They scanned over her skin before landing on Mila’s face. Voice shaking, he asked, “Noona, what are these?”

“I just got them from bumping into people,” Mila said hurriedly, recognising the tone in his voice. “It’s nothing serious.”

“‘Nothing serious?’” Sunghoon repeated incredulously as he joined the others. By now, the others had crowded around Mila to get a look at what was happening, and all had been in shock to see the bruises on Mila’s arm, before it then shifted into worry… and perhaps, maybe even fear.

Heeseung had a stern expression. He lifted her arm slightly, though still careful not to pull too hard or for his fingers to accidentally apply pressure to the purple spots. “This doesn’t seem ‘serious’ to you?” His eyes bore into Mila with a desperation evident in his gaze, serving as a thin veil to his anger. (Not towards her, though — and that was honestly more worrisome.) “Answer me properly: who did this?”

Mila opened her mouth and closed it again. She didn’t sense any anger in his voice or his tone, instead all she could find was panic — and the look made something in her gut drop with guilt. She could briefly see Riki’s conflicted expression from where he stood behind Heeseung, and Sunoo looked as if he had seen a ghost.

She felt hands on her face, bringing her attention back to Jongseong. “Please,” he said, “don’t hide this from us.”

Mila sighed. “I don’t know… There were just too many people there, and I didn’t know who was who…” The boys were silent as the words sunk in. “But it wouldn’t have been this bad if it weren’t for my Vitamin C deficit. It wasn’t that anyone intentionally hurt me or anything… I just happen to bruise easily these days.”

There was a pause. For a second, Mila thought she was going to be scolded, but instead, she was pulled into a firm chest, as a large palm cradled the back of her head. Jaeyun was careful not to hold her too tightly, but still firmly enough that Mila was engulfed in his warmth. “Damn it, don’t scare us like that.”

Heeseung sighed, reaching up to hold a hand against his forehead. Jungwon glanced at him before looking back at Mila. “Next time, please don’t hide this from us,” he said with a frown. “I honestly thought my heart stopped for a second.”

Sunoo furrowed his eyebrows, his worried eyes skimming over Mila’s revealed skin. There weren’t any words to describe how much his heart hurt seeing Mila’s sickened state these past few days, but seeing those bruises had caused his heart to drop in his stomach in fear — a fear he recognised on the day they got the news of the mob who crowded her on her way back from her doctor’s appointment.

He wasn’t the only one, either. They had all reached a similar conclusion: What if someone really got their hands her that day? What if they hurt her? What if — goodness forbid — she had been alone that day and didn’t have anyone by her side? No bodyguards, no manager, no members… Just her against a mob of crazed “fans” who would do anything to be close to her, no matter the lengths they had to take?

For a second, Jongseong really thought he was going to lose all control of his sanity. He couldn’t even imagine Heeseung or Sunghoon’s feelings; just the news alone of the fan mob was enough to make them clench his fists in anger, as if ready to strike — but if something were to actually happen? If things turned out worse than they did?

Jongseong didn’t want to think about it.

“Still, how could it be this bad?” Sunoo asked. “You look like someone…”

It looked like someone had hit her. And that thought alone made him sick to the stomach, and his eyes sting with tear.

“I promise that wasn’t the case. Really. The worse that happened was someone grabbing onto my arm, but manager pulled me away before anything happened.” Mila raised her arms, and he fell into them immediately. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Don’t apologise.” Riki placed a hand on Mila’s head like he was too scared that she might break with the slightest touch. “We just want you to be okay.”

Mila nodded. She looked around at her boyfriends, a sense of heaviness in her chest. It hurt more seeing them this heartbroken, than it did to be bruised, and she really wished they never had to experience sadness in their lives. But it was only natural that these things happened. At the very least, they were together.

“Group hug?” Mila asked, opened her arms to the rest of them. They looked sceptical at first, clearly wondering over the severity of her injuries, but Mila reassured them with a smile. “I promise I’ll tell you if it hurts.”

That seems to ease their worries, because next thing Mila knew, she was being held in the centre of seven boys. She only wished Kiara was with them, to complete the Enhypen group huddle, but the older female was filling in for a schedule that Mila had to miss because of her illness. (She would have to inform the older girl later of what happened, if only to prevent her for panicking if she got the report from anyone else.)

“It won’t happen again,” Heeseung whispered into her ears. “I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you, okay?”

Mila smiled. “I know.”

“None of us will,” Sunghoon said. “That’s a promise.”

It was impossible for her to live as an idol, and to be safe. This was the first or last time she would find herself in a situation like this. But somehow, she felt like she could believe them when they said it with so much conviction. And if she could, she would do her best to protect them as well.

“We’ll look after each other,” she said. Just as they always did.

By the time they pulled away from the hug, she was already being ‘treated’, watching with a small smile as their young leader blew on her bruises, placing gentle kisses along them. “So they get better,” Jungwon said with a cute smile, and Mila felt her heart melt.

“Let me, too!” Riki said, before repeating the same actions. His hyungs simply chuckled, watching with fond smiles as their maknaes took turns playing nurse.

Mila couldn’t say that the past few days were good ones. But at times like this, things didn’t seem so bad after all.

✉️ NOTE. just a little mini chapter that came to mind… it was more of practice to get back into writing longer works, bc i’ve only done drabbles so far since recovering my account and i cooks had the training lol 😆 so please do excuse if the quality isn’t as good as usual 🥸

[cocosnocalcocoa]

vitamins & supplements i take as someone with a restrictive ed

i find that eating less and putting my body through certain stress affects a lot of mental and physical factors —like hair loss and brain fog— and studies show its usually because of vitamin deficiencies…

so this is what vitamins i take daily to make everyday life a little easier and to keep up with my health :)

morning/first meal of the day

vitamin C: immune system + skin elasticity

collagen: skin elasticity + hair + nails + muscle mass

biotin: self care^ + nervous system (only a few times a week because i find it causes my pores to grow larger if taken too frequently)

vitamin B complex: cell health + energy levels + digestion & appetite + brain function

vitamin D3: bone and muscle health + immune system

iron: red blood & cell health + energy levels + brain function

omega-3: brain function + cancer & other disease prevention

evening/before bed

magnesium: improved sleep + mood + energy levels

taking vitamins wont counteract or necessarily fix any serious damage being done to one’s body, but it is still very important to keep maintenance with one’s bodily needs!

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

just learned 2day that scurvy causes old scars to reopen. putting that out there for all the pirate aus and vitamin-c deficient whumpees (plus if you like comfort at the end literally all you have to do is give them a tangerine)

*is taking notes*

whump writers, do with this what you will (;

[factual-fantasy]

25 asks! :00 Thank you! :}} 💖

I would like to yeah :0 for now I'm just kind'a goofin around and drawing whatever. Also thank you!! :DD I'm glad you like it! :}}}

I don't think kid Gregory and Vanessa would realize that the other is a younger version of the guard that's pursuing them.. They would just think they have the same name.

What would be confusing though is who went into who's world. If Little Vanessa went to little Gregory's world, she would be so confused. "Where's Bonnie and Foxy? Why do Roxy and Monty look so different..? Why does the entire BUILDING look different..??"

For adult Gregory going into the kid Gregory's world.. it'd be the same thing. "Why is the building so different and where is Bonnie and Foxy?... Also why is there this random gal that has on a security uniform and why is she in my office-"

Thank you! Happy new year to you as well!! 🎉🥳🎊

YOOOO THAT'D BE SICK!! :DDD Also I love all the puns XDD

Yeah, that post is outdated and should not be followed. My pinned post has all the up to date information. 👍

(Also thank you! :D)

That's a thing?? Man. I'm not sure what to think. I was never super into Bendy.. I guess I just hope that the fans get what they're hoping for? <:D

Or at the very least I hope that the people who made Bendy have the freedom to put what ever they want into the movie. :}

Thank you so much! :DD As for my favorite character from my AU specifically? I'd say its a tough pick between Freddy and Foxy.. I thiiiiink I'll pick Freddy XD I just love him man 🥺

@skeletormasterofevil

N-No.. she was so young...💔

@underfalls-36

XDDD That's hilarious, also thANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDD

Calico Jack? I don't think so.. scurvy is caused by a severe vitamin-C deficiency. And sailors usually got it becuase they didn't have fruits and vegetables on the ship.. But it looks like Calico Jack has gotten shipwrecked quite a few times in his life. I imagine he's been stranded on islands for a few weeks at a time where he ate nothing but fruits, Veggies and fish. Not to mention his time in the Amazon where he likely had access to all kinds of fruits.

Natquik though? Its possible.. out in the Antarctic his diet was probably mostly fish.. although it seems that real arctic fox diets don't really demand many fruits and veggies.. Still, Natquik seems more likely to have contracted scurvy at one point then Calico Jack :(

:DDD THANK YOU! And boy do I have a lot of that XD

I do have many theories/headcannons yes!.. Although I think I'll keep those tucked away in my brain for now- :x

@citrusfruitman

(Post in question)

XDD I sat on the first ask for a while because I was intending to draw something for it. But I'm realizing now that I might not ever draw it so--

What was going on in that drawing is an evil Undyne threw a spear at the group while they were passing by. Seam was struck in the head by it and was killed.. hence the blood splatter on her face. (My darkeners bleed)

BUT ITS OKAY! Through some uh... very dark methods- Frisk was able to reset to a few moments before and pull Seam out of the way. Then she got into a brawl with the evil Undyne no doubt <XD

I have, and uh, I'm not so sure about the whole "in character" thing.. or at least its not the character I imagined Fazbear Entertainment would be- <XD

It just means they're both rough and tough and their hands get beat up a lot. Kwazii gets them beat from scraping them on stuff and dealing with dangerous creatures while on missions. And Calico Jack gets them from scraping them on stuff and.. dealing with dangerous creatures while on adventures XDD

@spinelfan11

XDD I have now! What an odd specimen..

(Also thank you! :DDD)

@milk-powrit

Its hard to explain exactly why I don't like them.. But I don't like them-

I guess it feels kind'a.. mary sue-ish..? If that makes sense? Or at least having all these sans' that act nothing like the original sans is kind'a off putting? I guess? Not to mention loads of them are shipped together- uhg idk- Its hard to explain but I don't vibe with them personally. So I didn't add them to my au :/

@abaroo

OOOO THAT'S A GOOD IDEA!! :000 I like how it creates a spin on Grillby and River. While Jevil intentionally grabbed Grillby's hand and saved him, and River was dragged along by mistake.. Frisk CHOSE to follow Jevil, it wasn't his doing at all this time. That's a really cool thing to experiment with!

I'll have to look into this idea, thank you for sharing! And thank you for the complements! AND happy new year to you too! XDD

@the-great-bonkings

XDD For receiving hugs? I'd say he's about a 11/10 sometimes, maybe a 6/10 other times. Its harder to hug him comfortably if you're significantly shorter/smaller than he is. But if ur the right size his hugs will just fix all your problems 🥺

As for giving hugs? It might be about the same. But I can see him giving them out only to people he's really close to. Otherwise a tender yet professional hand on the shoulder seems more his style.

XD And I see the prompt there, perhaps I'll have to draw that sometime!

@tanileaf

YOU LIKE? :DDD THANK YOU! I'M SO GLAD!

Aww shucks 😊 Thank you!

@khoiazo

Whaaaat?? Nooo Its not traumaaa,,🥺 its character development!😇

TRUEEEEE

I do! I'll have to post more about them sometime-- 👀👀

@cudlycorncornsworthcoberson

WAAAA THANK YIOU SO MUCH!!! IM SO GLAD YOUY LIKE MY OCTONAUTS SILLIES 💖💖😭💖

[coldercreation]

PSA: 

If you have related to how I have described Nathan’s struggles with his mental health and some experiences with life; emotional, physical and social etc (ignore the story/his fam background for this; I mean if you have been able to relate to his feelings/anxiety/negative physical sensations etc.)

Might be worth it to get your blood checked. 

Especially B12, Vitamin D, Iron levels and Ferritin (ferritin should be 100+).

Building on top of the character, character background, and my research into trauma / mental health etc, I have always used a lot of my personal experience when describing emotions, feelings, and how mental health issues can feel like or present. It’s my attempt to make the writing feel realistic, had I experienced the things in the story or not. Aka even if the story was high fantasy and thus not realistic, I’d source my own feelings to make it ‘real’.

So. Regardless of what's causing it in the story: If you have ever related to how Nathan FEELS or describes his experience with the world and his brain… (Anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, feeling like an outsider/in a fishbowl, easily overwhelmed or over tired; social withdrawal, social anxiety, heart palpitations, chest pains, breathlessness, dissociation, irritability, issues with cognitive function; memory, overthinking, insomnia, brain fog, panic attacks, slow recovery from physical activity, etc etc et fucking c) 

Turns out bish has been chronically deficient of many things for a very long time due to stomach issues that stopped nutrients from absorbing. Antidepressants have never successfully worked for me, and it’s now looking like that’s because my mental health stuff could've largely been a physical symptom, instead of just purely mental health?? 

I have been on a pile of supplements for a bit now and uhh… It’s like night and day? Even with the other health stuff I've been getting treated for, it's been... So much better?? Like. Life changing amount of difference?? And I’m only just starting out fixing these deficiencies, which could take a long time. But...

Holy shit, “Better” might actually be a real thing after all?? There was a reason I've been so "stuck"???

Kind of mad… And sad. Because if this is true and I keep feeling like I have been recently, it means I’ve lost a lot of time to this. I try to focus on how good I’ve been feeling though, and stay curious for this journey of what literally feels like a second chance at life.

Just… Wanted to post this in case it could help someone else. This is a highly personal experience, mental health issues absolutely exist on their own too and there's possibly often overlap as well. But stuff like this can make existing mental health conditions worse too, so either way it’s worth checking. 

Yeah. So.

Happy new year?

From someone who might be pulling a whole Phoenix moment???? xx

[rotclaw]

to my fellow bearded dragon owners- this video was made by an australian veterinarian specializing in exotics, BeardieVet. it has tons of info on proper beardie care and i highly recommend watching/listening to it when possible (it's quite long at nearly 4 hours)

here's a long comprehensive list of info, copied from a reddit comment

• Bearded dragons do not bask all day. They come out in the morning and in the evening to bask for a bit

• If you have warm nights, your dragon will bask less. They will only bask based on their body needs and if they are warm all night they do not have a need to bask

• It can get as low as 5°C/41°F at night in Australia during spring and typically is about 11°‐12°C/51.8°‐53.6°F in their burrows

• Preferred core temp for their body is 36.3°C/97.34°F. This is achieved with a basking spot of about 42°C/107.6°F

• They do not have bile acids to ingest vitamin D3. They get this vitamin through proper UV

• Average preferred UVI is 4.1, but any where in the range of 3.8-4.5 is acceptable

• A high amount of bright visible light is needed for them. They know to go to the bright light to bask

• A heat bulb with visible light and UVA (like a halogen bulb), a proper linear UVB bulb, and a full spectrum LED bulb are the preferred lights used to achieve a proper LUX (perceived brightness)

• They are considered beginner pets because they are so robust that they can stay sick for so long without showing signs (not because they are easy to care for)

• Humidity isn't an issue by itself (they actually seek out humidity microclimates). It's high humidity combined with improper temps that causes issues

• They are very active animals and the main reason they aren't active in captivity is because they are bored

• Bare minimum size enclosure is 4x2x2. This is really needed in order to get proper UVI and temps. 5x3x3 would be better.

• They spend a lot of time higher up (more males than females) to be able to survey their territory in places like bushes and trees (not something like a hammock)

• They like to be able to see their surroundings fully

• Deep Heat Projectors are unnatural wavelengths and cause them to dry out which increases water loss

• In the wild they will sleep out in the open in 15°C/59°F, but will go into a burrow with anything under 10°C/50°F

• "Brumation" during our summer months is due to increased temps that cause them to stay sheltered to reserve their energy

• Substrate in Australia is 0.3% gravel, 1.5% silt, 2.3% clay, 95.9% fine sand (quartz & iron oxide)

• If they try to ingest their substrate it's a nutritional deficiency or a psychological reason: not proper UV, fed high phosphorus & low calcium, MBD & parasites, husbandry issues

• If you don't have loose substrate, you're depriving them of one of their 5 freedom rights

• Straight play sand isn't the best because it lacks clay

• Pin worms are needed to break down cellulose

• An overload of parasites is due to poor husbandry. The parasites are a secondary issue, so fix the husbandry and the parasites will go back in check

• No loose substrate equals a loss in muscle mass and causes stress on the joints, this becomes a welfare issue

• Keepers that bathe their dragons so they can defecate that is trying to solve a problem that's caused by poor husbandry (i.e. temps not high enough, parasite overload, not enough UV)

• If your husbandry is correct, you should not have to bathe them at all. It's not something they typically do (sit in puddles of water). Unless of course they are visibly soiled

• They should be able to do normal bodily functions on their own. If they can't, it's a welfare issue

• They do not absorb through their skin or their cloaca. They are not designed to take water in that way.

• They should be getting enough water from their food. You can mist them (from above not straight in the face) and the enclosure to mimic rain as well once a week. This will create little spots for them to drink from too

• Some causes of MBD include: not enough vitamin D production, not enough heat, not enough calcium, and too much phosphorus

• In the wild they eat a lot of flowers, wild sage, hibiscus, and Australian blue bells

• We grow them way too fast in captivity. It should take them 2 years to grow to full size, not 6 months

• Babies should get 5-6 protein items (about the size that is between their eyes) a day

• Adults should get 3-4 protein items (about the size that is between their eyes) 3 days a week and 3 times that in greens

• They do not need to eat if they are overweight

• Absolutely no fruit ever. They do not eat any in the wild at all and it causes dental disease and fungal cultures

• All protein items should be dusted with calcium

• BSFLs do have high calcium, but a majority of that is in their exoskeleton which is indigestible so they still need to be dusted

• You can dust a salad with a multivitamin once every other week

• ADV is something natural to them and is only an issue if husbandry is wrong (like cold sores in people, only comes out under stress)

• Obesity causes a lot of health issues

• Their insides are in one cavity so when they are obese it pushes their lungs in and they have a really hard time breathing

• Obesity also insulates them which prevents them from reaching optimum core temperature as the heat cannot penetrate past the fat

• Weight and length to compare what an ideal body composition should be (SVL= snout to vent length):

• Male: 372 grams; 24cm/9.45in SVL

• Female: 254 grams; 21.5cm/8.46in SVL

• Gravid Female: 315 grams; 22cm/8.66in SVL

• Average Dragon: 341 grams; 23.3cm/9.17in SVL

(thanks to schance99 on reddit for writing all this down)

[lemissingmask]

[ID: Sketch of Redemption-era Parker, Hardison and Eliot, with Hardison in the foreground, turning around to look at Parker and Eliot, and Parker and Eliot looking at each other. Parker is looking disapprovingly at Eliot's shoulder, which has some blood soaking through his shirt, and Eliot is half-glaring back at her with his arms folded. End ID]

-

Day 14: Bleeding through the bandage

Eliot bleeding through bandages beneath his shirt. Silly little random ficlet below the cut.

-

“Do you have scurvy?”

Hardison was pretty immune by now to the unusual things that Parker sometimes said, but every now and then, one still got him.

Like that.

It could have been directed to him or Eliot, the only other people in the room, and turning he saw that it was the hitter who had just been accused of a vitamin C deficiency.

Understandably, Eliot was looking bemused, with that edge of irritated that came when he was trying not to be amused or endeared by them.

“Do you have scurvy?” Parker repeatedly, glaring back at him.

“What?”

Parker sighed and jabbed her index finger at the right side of Eliot’s chest, “You’re bleeding.”

And, he was. Deep red seeping through his shirt. Not a lot, and not quickly, but it was definitely there.

Eliot didn’t bother looking at where Parker was prodding. He was presumably already aware of the blood.

“People’s injuries reopen and bleed again when they have scurvy,” Parker pointed out, accurately, and demonstrating the very bad idea it was for Eliot to have decided to introduce her to historical naval fiction, “And you’re bleeding. Where you got shot.”

“I’ve been shot in a lot of places,” Eliot rejoined, “This ain’t an old wound.”

He jerked away from her finger when she made to poke again, but the thief followed and he didn’t bother attempting the escape more than once.

“If it’s not an old wound, when’d it happen? You said the hitters we ran into on the last job were amateurs. You went on a whole hour-long rant about useless hitters and the idiots who hired them,” Hardison asked, turning fully away from the screens with the job they were planning. 

This seemed more important right now.

“Incident at Paul’s place yesterday,” Eliot said, offering no further explanation, and trusting them not to be indiscrete enough to ask for details.

Eliot had started visiting Paul regularly, sometimes for social visits, occasionally with invites extended to the team, and sometimes to help out at the clinic.

Yesterday, he had been there to help, and somehow had got injured.

Hardison could guess explanations: a patient caught up in the trauma of war grew violent, a fight between people who once served together or maybe a grieving loved one and someone their lost companion had served with, anti-war violent protestors deciding to cause trouble in a small clinic, a slippery scalpel sliding out of Paul’s hand and coming to rest in Eliot …there were thousands of explanations ranging from simple and realistic to Sophie-soap opera level dramatic.

But he could imagine all day and Eliot would only tell them if they pressed, and if it involved no one but him.

“Need a hand with it?” Hardison asked as Parker poked at the injury again, now more out of revenge for his not having told them sooner.

Eliot shook his head, “Tore the stitches trainin’ this mornin’.  Didn’ have time to redo ‘em.”

“Okayyy, well, you have time now, so…”

“I’ll do it later,” Eliot glared, “Just carry on with the…keep doin’ the…briefing!”

The words were broken by a combination of his own ever-present discomfort at expressions of concern directed towards him, and Parker getting in one last prod before they got back to work.

Reassured that Eliot wasn’t in any actual danger, Hardison smirked and turned back to the screens, picking up where he had left off while Parker gave Eliot quiet advice on how to avoid scurvy.

Hardison was pretty certain that the next time Eliot had a beer, Parker would be trying to put lime juice in it.

-

[acti-veg]

Is it normal to get sick going vegan cold turkey? I vaguely remember something about gut bacteria but it's been two weeks and I'm still getting killer cramps and I have a really low pain tolerance lol how long is this going to last? 😭

Some sickness is normal for any radical change in diet; your macro intake will be totally different and your body needs time to adapt. Regardless if you’re getting uncomfortable cramps I’d recommend seeing a doctor.

It may be completely unrelated to diet, or could have been an existing issue just exacerbated by the immunity hit from such a sudden change. If you experience periods and they feel like period cramps, a hormonal change is the likely culprit, and that can be caused by diet - red meat and dairy can disrupt hormone balance, so cutting them out may swing it the other way.

Two weeks is probably too short a time for symptoms any sort of deficiency to be materialising unless you aren’t getting enough calories, but magnesium and calcium are both thought to help offset cramps. Oat milk is a great source of both, but they are also a common combined supplement that you can buy cheaply if you want to double up. Certainly can’t hurt!

In the early stages I’d advise making an effort to up your iron, protein and vitamin c intake as well just to stave off any sickness while your body gets used to the new status quo. There are plenty of vegan sources of both, but you could also supplement with a vegan protein powder, iron supplements etc if you couldn’t easily do it through your diet.

It doesn’t usually last very long, but again, as with any unusual symptom your first step should be seeing a doctor just to be sure. Either way I hope it clears up for you soon!

[crosstheveil]

Health: Misconceptions with Anemia and "Iron Deficiency"

Iron Absorption & Utilization

Simply taking iron supplements often doesn't cure anemia.

Proper absorption and utilization of iron involve many processes.

1/3 of the population has trouble absorbing and utilizing iron; it's considered the most common nutritional disorder in the world.

Anemia is usually about iron dysregulation, not deficiency.

Iron supplements or injections tend to circulate excessively, potentially causing toxicity.

Iron overload strains the iron recycling system and the liver.

Liver plays a key role in regulating iron uptake.

Iron doesn't regulate itself; it's copper-dependent.

Copper is essential for ceruloplasmin, a protein that mobilizes iron from tissues into the blood. Without copper, iron accumulates in tissue leading to inflammation and tissue damage which can develop into others issues like heart or liver disease and diabetes with increased risk of infection and cancer.

Retinol (Vitamin A) enhances iron absorption and influences genes regulating iron metabolism.

Iron Testing

CBC can detect anemia but it can't necessarily tell you the cause.

Serum ferritin doesn't give a true measure of iron stores.

Approximately 70% of iron is found in hemoglobin, around 20-25% is stored as ferritin and hemosiderin in tissues, about 5% is in myoglobin and enzymes, and roughly 0.1% as serum iron.

For accurate assessment, consider all containers of iron including hemoglobin, serum iron, and ferritin, as well as non-iron markers such as zinc, copper, and vitamins A & D.

The only direct way to measure iron stores is to keep removing blood until anemia sets in, then account for the iron deficit and dietary iron consumed during this time.

Sources (meat, liver, and seafood)

Copper: liver, nuts, molasses, oats, bee pollen, shellfish, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, acerola cherry powder, shilajit.

Retinol (Vitamin A): liver, other organ meats, egg yolk, seafood, fish liver oils, dairy products.

Other Insights

Phytates in plants can hinder non-heme iron absorption but vitamin C helps to counteract these inhibitory effects.

Over-supplementing with zinc can cause copper deficiency since copper and zinc need to be in balance.

There are many causes of anemia beyond "iron deficiency", such as vitamin B12 deficiency.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded in 1934 to George Whipple, George Minot, and William Murphy for their discoveries related to liver therapy in cases of anemia.

Other studies have supported incorporating beef liver (which contains copper, iron, zinc, vitamin A and D) into the diet.

The key is to have food that isn't concentrated on a certain vitamin or mineral but provides a mixture of what we need in a way that our body can properly absorb without inhibiting effects.

Men are naturally higher in iron than women and women are naturally higher in copper than men (estrogen levels contribute to the production of copper).

Female menstruation is why iron deficiency anemia is more common among women.

Signs of anemia include fatigue, pale complexion, blurred vision, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, cold hands and feet, scanty menstruation, numbness, insomnia, poor memory, dry skin, brittle nails, vertical ridges on nails, muscle twitches, shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, swollen or sore tongue, unusual cravings, restless legs.

[gsirvitor]

forget if I already asked, but what's Evolution/the Secular World's view on why Humans can get scurry/vitamin deficiencies? sorry to spring this question on you, its just that you seem knowledgeable about evolutionary history and how it interacts with humanity.

Simple answer, you need vitamin D and C, or else you die.

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a nutrient your body, or more precisely, your cells need to form blood vessels, cartilage, skin, muscle and collagen in bones.

It is also vital to your body's healing process, in other words it is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body.

During evolution, some species including humans, monkeys and fruit bats lost the ability for ascorbic acid biosynthesis due to inactivation of the enzyme l-gulono-lactone oxidase and have become dependent on dietary vitamin C.

The inability to synthesize vitamin C is due to mutations in the L-gulono-γ-lactone oxidase gene which codes for the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the last step of vitamin C biosynthesis.

A deficiency in vitamin C causes scurvy, this occurs in vertebrates that are unable to synthesize vitamin C when their diet does not include fresh fruit and vegetables, rich sources of the vitamin.

Hair follicles can become clogged with keratin, old wounds may reopen and new sores begin to form. Parts of your body may swell, particularly your arms and legs. If left untreated, scurvy can lead to death from bleeding or infection, in essence, scurvy is your body breaking down because it lacks a nutrient it needs to keep up with repairs and growth.

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, has been important not only for the evolution of a healthy vertebrate skeleton but it also evolved into a hormone that has a wide diversity of biologic effects.

Vitamin D evolved from one of the multiple factors controlling energy, metabolism, and immunity to a dominant regulator of calcium homeostasis and bone remodeling.

It is a fat-soluble vitamin that has long been known to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus; both are critical for building bone.

While vitamin D can be found in invertebrates, its role in their bodies is unknown.

In my opinion, everything needs a source of vitamin D, why? Because we all evolved from eukaryotes that metabolized solar energy to breed and survive, from plants to animals.

But this is just my understanding on the subject.

[choclodox]

Are there any sicknesses that night na'vi can get? Can something give them like... an upset stomach for example? Are there some specific things they're just not very good at/with?

Good question, and the answer is yes:

In the world of medicine, this is how they organize types of diseases.

Night Na’vi are immune to acquired communicable and infectious diseases, but they are still capable of developing congenital diseases, such as Nakir’s disorder that severely diminishes her ability to gain weight and contributes to her muscle weakness.

Night Na’vi are also able to develop non-communicable and non-infectious diseases such as deficiencies caused by malnutrition (which is something they are especially prone to as mentioned in a previous about Night Na’vi metabolisms), cancer (which is what killed Nakir’s mom when Nakir was just a little girl), and degenerative diseases, which are diseases mainly seen in the elderly due to wear and tear over the years (things like heart disease they’ve spent and entire lifetime pumping blood nonstop).

As far as Night Na’vi run of the mill diseases, it’s mainly deficiencies such as Na’vi versions of scurvy (lack of vitamin C) since they have more nutritional needs, but only so much room in their stomachs.

Nutrition is a big deal with the Na’vi to the point where they have to consciously think about what they eat on what days, so they have track what they eat. For example, while certain vegetables are high in nutrients (ie broccoli), they are low in carbohydrates, take up lot of space in the stomach, and take longer to digest. So the Night Na’vi will reserve a day to build up on specifically on fibrous foods and then other days to build up on carbohydrates (which you cannot survive without as they are the main fuel source for living things).

It’s especially important for children to have good nutrition since their bodies are still developing.

[imaginaryberries]

Vitamins and minerals and their respective deficiencies are a special interest of mine lol but it really is fascinating how behind the NHS and like. medicine in general seems to be when it comes to iron in particular. The reference ranges for ferritin (iron stores), the ranges in which you'll be told it's "normal", sometimes start as low as like. 12. But anything below 30 is iron deficiency (but not necessarily anaemia as that's slightly different). I've seen a lot of people say that they don't feel good unless it's up at like 80 or even 100+. But you'll never be told that, a lot of the time doctors will deny that low ferritin without anaemia can cause symptoms at all. A GP did once admit to me that a level of around what I'm at now - low/mid 20s - can "certainly cause symptoms in some people" even with normal haemoglobin, and advised me that it's recommended that ferritin levels be above 50 to regrow the hair loss that the deficiency causes, but that was only because I pushed the issue of still feeling shitty with "normal" labs. You also can't take iron with tea or coffee because it hinders absorption (because of the caffeine but also the tannins - so red wine is the same - and the calcium in the milk) and you should take it alongside vitamin C because this aids absorption, particularly of plant-based sources of iron. But they don't tell you that!! Anyway. Back before I was diagnosed with coeliac disease I once had a ferritin level of 6 and I have seen a bunch of people say their haematologists offered them IV iron infusions instantly at numbers higher than that lmao