Nutritional Disorders

Nutrition is the sum of all those activities which are concerned with ingestion; digestion; absorption of digested food; oxidation of simple food to produce energy and egestion. Nutritional disorders or diseases are physiological conditions that occur due to the lack of intake of the nutrients required by our body. We will discuss some of the deficiency diseases or nutritional disorders. 

Fuel Value of Nutrients

Caloric fuel value or Gross energy value of a nutrient is the amount of energy liberated by 1 gram of a nutrient undergoing complete combustion in a bomb calorimeter (a closed metal chamber filled with oxygen), while physiological fuel value of a nutrient is the amount of energy liberated by 1 gram of a nutrient in the body tissues. Caloric fuel values and physiological fuel values of different nutrients are different in common energy currency because the glucose is most abundantly present and is most easily oxidisable.

Nutritional Disorders

There are two types of nutritional disorders like overnutrition and under-nutrition. The under-nutrition, also called malnutrition, is characterised by nutritional deficiency which may be both qualitative and quantitative. 

The nutritional deficiency of a nutrient for a long period causes the structural and functional disorders of some body parts. Such disorders caused by under-nourishment are called diet deficiency diseases. 

According to a report of ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research), nearly 77 per cent of children between one and five years of age in rural areas and 79.3 percent of them in slums in India suffer from mild to severe malnutrition. In India, Uttar Pradesh (2012 Report) has the maximum number of people suffering from malnutrition.

It shows that the physiological fuel value of 1 gram of fat is about 2.5 times than that of glucose so the fats are called concentrated fuels. But the glucose malnutrition:

PEM/ Protein energy Malnutrition

PEM or Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) may affect large sections of the population during drought, famine, etc. This happened in Bangladesh during the liberation war and in Ethiopia during the severe drought in the mid-eighties. PEM affects infants and children. It is of two types: 

Marasmus

It is produced by a simultaneous deficiency of proteins and calories. It is found in infants less than a year in age, if the mother’s milk is replaced too early by other foods which are poor in both proteins and caloric value. This often happens if the feeding mother has a second pregnancy or childbirth when the older infant is still too young. 

Kwashiorkor

It is produced by protein deficiency unaccompanied by calorie deficiency. It results from the replacement of mother’s milk by a high calorie-low protein diet in a child more than one year in age. Same as  marasmus, kwashiorkor shows wasting of muscles, thinning of limbs, failure of growth and brain development But unlike marasmus, some fat is still left under the skin, moreover, extensive oedema and swelling of body parts are seen.

Examples of Some Disorders:

Rickets

Deficiency of Vitamin D along with calcium and potassium in the body causes rickets. Rickets are characterized by weak and soft bones, bowed legs and bone deformities. Fish, fortified dairy products, liver, oil, and sunlight are some rich sources of Vitamin D. 

Pellagra

Pellagra is a disease caused by the lack of Niacin or B3 in the body. Foods enriched with niacin are tuna, whole grains, peanuts, mushrooms, chicken etc. These should be consumed regularly to ward off this disease.

Scurvy

Low levels of Vitamin C or ascorbic acid in the body can cause scurvy. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, strawberry etc. and broccoli are rich in vitamin C

BeriBeri

Lack of Vitamin B1 or thiamine in the body leads to the disease called beriberi.  Meat, eggs, whole grains, dried beans, etc. are rich in thiamine. 

Xerophthalmia or Night Blindness

Xerophthalmia or night blindness is caused due to deficiency of Vitamin A in the body. In worsened situations, night blindness can aggravate complete loss of vision.  Vitamin A is found in natural food sources like carrots, green and leafy vegetables, cantaloupes etc.

Goitre

Iodine in the body is essential for normal cell metabolism in the body; it is the constituent of the thyroid hormones. The deficiency of iodine may cause goitre. 

Iron Deficiency Anaemia

Iron deficiency anemia is a disease caused by the deficiency of iron in the body. It is characterized by a decrease in the red blood cell count or hemoglobin in the body. 

Osteoporosis

The deficiency of Vitamin D and calcium in the body can negatively affect the health of the bones and spine. It leads to unhealthy, soft, and brittle bones that are prone to fractures and defects in the spine structure. Bananas, spinach, milk, okra, soy, and sunlight are natural sources of Vitamin D and calcium that act to eliminate this deficiency.

Conclusion

Henceforth this unit helps us to learn about what nutrition is, how different nutrients are responsible for different functions in our body. And Deficiency or excess of any nutrient can cause damage to our health.