Question

In a village, it is observed that several farmers have crossed gait and use a stick for support to stand up and walk. Due to poor yield from farms, they consume meals containing rice and pulses only. Supplementing their diet with which of the following vitamins could have prevented this?

• A. Vitamin A
• B. Vitamin D
• C. Vitamin C
• D. Vitamin B

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

In the context of the village scenario, the symptoms described—such as difficulty in standing and reliance on a stick for mobility—are reminiscent of issues related to bone health and potentially scurvy. Scurvy is caused by a deficiency in Vitamin C, which plays a critical role in collagen synthesis, essential for maintaining connective tissues and bone integrity.

Given the farmers' limited diet of rice and pulses, which are not significant sources of Vitamin C, a deficiency in this vitamin could lead to weakened collagen, resulting in the symptoms described. Supplementation with Vitamin C would help prevent or alleviate such issues by enhancing collagen production, thus supporting bone and tissue health.

Vitamin	Role In Health	Deficiency Symptoms
A	Vision, immune function	Night blindness, immune system issues
D	Bone health, calcium absorption	Osteomalacia, rickets
C	Collagen synthesis, antioxidant	Scurvy: bleeding gums, joint pain
B	Energy metabolism, red blood cell formation	Weakness, fatigue, neurological issues

Thus, supplementing their diet with Vitamin C could prevent the symptoms observed among the villagers, particularly in relation to their bone and connective tissue health.