List of illnesses caused by poor nutrition
(Redirected from Deficiency disease)
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Many diseases in humans are directly or indirectly caused by improper eating habits and malnutrition. These include, but are not limited to, deficiency diseases, caused by a lack of essential nutrients.
Additionally, several diseases are directly or indirectly impacted by dietary habits, and require very close attention to the nutrient content of food.
Overnutrition (eating too much)
Food
- See also: Overeating
Calories
- Obesity, which in turn can lead to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Vitamins
Microminerals and Macrominerals
Deficiencies (eating too little)
Proteins/fats/carbohydrates
Vitamin
- See also: avitaminosis, and the table of deficiency diseases at human vitamins
- Pellagra -
- Poor immune system function, potentially leading to a wide range of other illnesses.
- Spina bifida
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency causes:
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) deficiency leads to ariboflavinosis
- Vitamin C (ascorbate) deficiency causes scurvy, deterioration of tissues throughout the body due to reduced collagen synthesis.
- Vitamin D deficiency - is known to cause several bone diseases[2] including:
- Rickets - a childhood disease characterized by impeded growth, and deformity, of the long bones.
- Osteomalacia- a bone-thinning disorder that occurs exclusively in adults and is characterised by proximal muscle weakness and bone fragility.
- Osteoporosis - a condition characterized by reduced bone mineral density and increased bone fragility.
Microminerals and Macrominerals
- Iodine deficiency
- Iron deficiency
- Metabolic or nutritionally related disease such as diabetes mellitus or endemic goitre
- Osteoporosis - caused by calcium deficiency
- zinc deficiency (growth retardation)
References
- ↑ "Malnutrition Is Cheating Its Survivors, and Africa’s Future" article in the New York Times by Michael Wines, December 28, 2006
- ↑ Grant WB, Holick MF (2005). "Benefits and requirements of vitamin D for optimal health: a review". Altern Med Rev. 10 (2): 94–111. PMID 15989379.
See also
- Avitaminosis
- Malnutrition
- Essential nutrient
- List of ICD-10 codes (E54-E64) -- detailed taxonomy
- Obesity
- osteoporosis