Zeism

Zeism is any condition attributed to excessive use of maize (corn) in the diet, such as pellagra, because maize is low in zinc, niacin and tryptophan, and the limited niacin found in maize is not assimilated in the intestinal tract unless it has been treated with alkalis, as in the preparation of tortillas. A type of pellagra attributed to amino acid imbalance is common in India among persons who eat a millet with a high leucine content. The deficiencies are usually seasonal.

See also

• Avitaminosis

Primary sources

• Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary
• The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library - Niacin Deficiency
• Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders: Vitamin/Nutritional Deficiency

Secondary Sources

• Wilson, Jean D. "Deficiency States." In Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, ed. Anthony S. Fauci, et al. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
• Garrison, Robert H., Jr. and Elizabeth Somer. The Nutrition Desk Reference. Keats Publising, Inc., 1985.