Deficiency Diseases

Kwashiorkor is a type of malnutrition, and is common in developing countries, where the diet of newborns and children are deficient in vital nutrients.

Deficiency diseases

Nutrient deficiencies affect fewer than 10% of the population in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); nevertheless, nutrient deficiencies differ by age, race, gender, and ethnicity. Nutrient shortages may affect up to one-third of the population in some areas.

Suppose the shortage occurs during fetal development or early childhood. In that case, it can cause changes in energy metabolism, immunological function, cognitive ability, bone growth, muscular function, and growth and development. Deficiency sickness is caused by a lack of essential dietary nutrients, notably vitamins or minerals.

Nutrition intakes consistently underneath the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) might reduce the number of nutrients stored in the body and are available for biological processes. The Recommended Dietary Allowance or RDA, Adequate Intake or AI, EAR or Estimated Average Requirement, and Tolerable Upper Intake Level or TUIL are DRIs dependent on age and gender.

The most prevalent dietary deficiencies in the general US population were from 2003 to 2006, as reported by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, known as NHANES. The report reveals common nutrients were iron, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. Because the NHANES does not measure the level of all minerals and vitamins, other micronutrient deficiencies may exist in the population, but their incidence is unknown.

What is Kwashiorkor?

Kwashiorkor is a type of severe malnutrition in which the main symptom is an excess of fluid inside the body’s tissues, resulting in swelling beneath the skin. It usually starts in the legs; however, it can spread to other parts of the body and the face.

It is caused by a lack of protein and other essential vitamins and minerals in the diet. It’s widespread in poorer nations, where there’s a scarcity of food, inadequate sanitation, and a lack of awareness about feeding children and babies a healthy diet.

Kwashiorkor is uncommon in industrialized countries like the United Kingdom; however, it can occur due to extreme neglect, long-term sickness, a lack of nutrition understanding, or an extremely restricted diet. This type of disease, Kwashiorkor, can affect anyone, but it is more prevalent in children than in adults.

If Kwashiorkor is discovered early enough, it can be treated with mainly designed milk-based feeds and ready-to-use therapeutic meals known as RUTF. Peanut butter, sugar, vegetable oil, milk powder, and vitamins and minerals are generally used to produce RUTF. Severe instances or those with pre-existing issues, such as infections, require more comprehensive care in the hospital.

Vitamin deficiency

The body requires 13 essential vitamins that can be found in various foods. Depending on whatever vitamin is low, deficiency can have several health implications. Lack of vitamin intake can lead to a deficit, and various medical conditions might put you at risk for lack of vitamins. Vitamin deficiency can be detected through blood tests. Vitamin supplements, either taken orally or intravenously, can be used to treat them.

Vitamin insufficiency is sometimes linked to your diet. Vitamins are complex chemicals that can be found in various foods, including grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, chicken, and seafood. Each vitamin can be found in various foods, and some food products are vitamin-fortified. Milk, for example, is supplemented with vitamin D and naturally includes calcium which is a mineral, not even a vitamin. A variety of vitamins are routinely added to rice, pasta, and cereal.

Seafood, poultry, and dairy items are all high in vitamin D. Sunlight, on the other hand, is a good source of vitamin D. 7 Vitamin D deficiency can also be caused by a lack of sun exposure. Vitamin replacement is used to treat vitamin insufficiency. If a medical issue causes a vitamin shortage, it will also need to treat that disease.

When treatment begins, the severity of a person’s symptoms determines how effectively they recover from Kwashiorkor. The person will typically recover well if therapy is started early, while youngsters may never attain their total potential growth and be shorter than other classmates. If treatment is begun too late in the course of protein deficiency, the patient may develop physical and mental problems.

Conclusion

Vitamin and mineral deficits are examples of micronutrient deficiencies such as Kwashiorkor in the body. Diseases can affect the amounts of macronutrients and micronutrients in the body due to chronic health conditions, poor dietary intake, acute health conditions, changed nutrient metabolism, drugs, or a mixture of these variables. Individual nutrient intake patterns can lead to a lack of nutritional absence within the broader population, which impacts the body’s routine functions, leading to prolonged sickness. It is not always specific to age groups or cultural factors, as nutrient deficiency has a linkage with improper diet.

Deficiency Diseases