Deficiency Diseases: Definition, Types, Symptoms

A balanced diet on a regular day is very important to maintain proper health. What will happen if there is a deficiency of any of the essential nutrients? What are deficiency diseases? A lack of the required amount of protein, vitamins and minerals leads to various deficiency diseases. Deficiencies of these nutrients can lead to a variety of health problems that can include digestion problems, skin disorders, stunted or defective bone growth, and even dementia.

We should always consume balanced nutrition that contains all the essential factors to meet the body’s requirements. Eating a balanced diet is important for the overall growth and development of an individual. In this article, we will provide detailed information on deficiency diseases. Continue reading to learn more about deficiency diseases!

What is Malnutrition?

Malnutrition is defined as either the lack of sufficient food or imbalance of nutrients in the diet resulting in the impairment of health (or ill health) or from the physical inability to absorb or metabolise nutrients owing to disease.

Different Forms of Malnutrition

There are three forms of malnutrition:
1. Undernutrition: This is the condition that results when insufficient food is eaten over an extended period of time. In extreme cases, when no food is consumed for several days, it is called starvation.
2. Overnutrition: It is excessive consumption of food over an extended period of time. It leads to obesity, diabetes and atheroma (deposition of cholesterol on arterial walls).
3. Nutritional Disorders: Nutritional disorders due to the lack of adequate quantity of a specific nutrient in the diet are called deficiency diseases.

What are Deficiency Diseases?

A balanced diet is very important for the good health of a person and well being. Consuming sufficient nutrients keeps us healthy and away from diseases. Any imbalance in the diet might lead to excess or insufficient intake of certain nutrients. Insufficient intake of a particular nutrient can lead to a deficiency disease. Deficiency diseases are also known as nutritional disorders.

Types of Deficiency Diseases

Deficiency diseases are of three types:
1. Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM)
2. Mineral deficiency diseases
3. Vitamin deficiency diseases

Protein-energy Malnutrition(PEM)

Protein and energy deficiency go hand in hand, and for this reason, the terminology protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) or protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) is used for these deficiencies. PEM occurs in all age groups but is more frequently found in children. The two common forms of PEM are listed below:

1. Kwashiorkor: Kwashiorkor is caused by severe protein deficiency. Kwashiorkor usually sets in children between the age of \(1-3\) years when their daily intake of protein is less than \({\rm{1 \;g/kg}}\) of body weight.

Symptoms:
The symptoms of Kwashiorkor are as follows:
1. Stunted growth and bulging eyes.
2. The abdomen (stomach) becomes swollen due to water retention (retention of water by the cells is called oedema).
3. Legs become thin and curved (matchstick legs)
4. Skin becomes scaly and peels off.
5. Hair becomes reddish before the age of five.
6. Brain development is affected.

Fig: Kwashiorkor

2. Marasmus: When the energy is predominantly insufficient, the disease is called marasmus. Thus, marasmus is caused by inadequate intake of food or starvation leading to a deficiency in calories and energy. It is common in infants below one year of age.

Symptoms:
The symptoms of Marasmus are as follows:
1. The child’s body consists of just skin and bones; ribs are visible and shrivelled appearance.
2. Skin is thin and wrinkled, and loose folds of skin are seen.
3. The fat layer beneath the skin totally disappears.
4. The face looks bigger as compared to the rest of the body.
5. Digestion is impaired.
6. Retarded physical and mental growth.
7. The body becomes susceptible to infections.

Fig: Marasmus

Prevention and Control of Kwashiorkor and Marasmus Diseases:
1. The disease can be cured by giving a protein-rich diet.
2. A combination of wheat, gram, soya bean, peanuts and jaggery (gur).
3. A diet containing animal protein like meat and fish.

Mineral Deficiency Diseases

Mineral Deficiency Diseases are caused due to the lack of minerals such as iron, calcium, iodine, etc. The few deficiency diseases caused due to lack of minerals are given below:
1. Anaemia: The disease ‘anaemia’ is caused due to the deficiency of the mineral called iron. Iron is required by the body to form the protein haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is present in the red blood cells, and its main function is to carry oxygen from the lungs to various parts of the body. This oxygen is required to release energy from the food we eat (during the process of respiration) and is carried by the blood. Thus, a person suffering from anaemia will not get sufficient energy to carry out various life activities. The daily requirement of iron is \({\rm{18 mg}}{\rm{.}}\)

Symptoms:
The symptoms of Anaemia are as follows:
1. Anaemic persons feel tired easily.
2. Loss in weight.
3. People look pale.
4. Breathlessness occurs.

Prevention and Control:
1. Diet rich in green leafy vegetables, dals, wheat, rice, apple, banana, guava, eggs, meat and liver.
2. The body is able to absorb iron better if some vitamin C/protein is eaten along with it. Many green leafy vegetables have enough vitamin C, and dals, liver and meat are good sources of proteins. These, thus, help in the absorption of iron.

Fig: Anaemia

2. Goitre: Goitre is an enlargement of the thyroid gland present in the neck. It occurs due to the deficiency of the mineral iodine. Iodine is needed for the production of the hormone thyroxine secreted by the thyroid gland. Thyroxine controls the rate at which the body uses oxygen. If the body does not get sufficient iodine, the gland enlarges.

Symptoms:
The symptoms of Goitre are as follows:
1. Enlargement of the thyroid gland.
2. The person feels tired and is lethargic.
3. Deficiency in childhood causes physical and mental retardation. This is known as cretinism.

Prevention and Control:
1. Seafood, leafy vegetables, water, and iodised salt are rich in iodine. Such food items should be included in the diet.
2. ICMR has developed intramuscular injection of iodised oil (mostly poppy seed oil) and oral sodium iodate tablets as effective cures for goitre.

Fig: Goitre

3. Calcium deficiency: Lack of calcium in the diet makes the bones weak and brittle. It can also cause tooth decay.

Symptoms:
The symptoms of Calcium deficiency are as follows:
1. Rickets, weak bones and teeth are prone to cracking.
2. Stunted growth and excessive bleeding from wounds.
3. Calcium deficiency can lead to cataracts, alterations in the brain, and osteoporosis, which causes the bones to become brittle and weak.

Prevention and Control:
1. Diet should include milk, eggs, dairy products, and leafy vegetables.
2. Calcium-rich foods such as beans, figs, broccoli, tofu, soy milk, fortified cereals, nuts and seeds, including almonds and sesame seeds.

4. Phosphorous deficiency: Lack of phosphorus in the diet makes the bones weak and brittle. Improper functioning of the heart and muscles. The genetic material in our body is not formed properly.

Symptoms:
The symptoms of phosphorus deficiency are as follows:
1. Bones and teeth are fragile.
2. Disorders in the muscular system.
3. Other symptoms include anxiety, fatigue, irregular breathing, irritability and joint stiffness.

Prevention and Control:
1. Diet should contain milk, green vegetables and cereals.

Vitamin Deficiency Diseases

Deficiency or lack of vitamins in the diet for prolonged periods results in hypovitaminosis (deficiency of vitamins) or avitaminosis (lack of vitamins). There are various types of essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, etc. There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E and K are examples of fat-soluble, and Vitamin B and Vitamin C are examples of water-soluble vitamins.

Summary

Nutritious food with the perfect amount of proteins, minerals, vitamins, etc., is the best fuel to run a healthy body. Lack of proteins leads to kwashiorkor and marasmus disease in infants or children of age 1-4 years. We should always consume leafy vegetables, food grains, dal, amla, bitter gourd, groundnuts, milk, apple, egg, etc., to overcome many deficiency diseases like rickets, scurvy, goitre, anaemia, etc.  Diet supplemented with the above food items help to prevent and control the disease. The deficiency of nutrients in food affects physical and mental health.

FAQs on Deficiency Diseases

Q.1. What are deficiency diseases? Name any five?
Ans: Consuming sufficient nutrients keeps us healthy and away from diseases. Any imbalance in the diet might lead to excess or insufficient intake of certain nutrients. Insufficient intake of a specific nutrient can lead to a deficiency disease. Anaemia, goitre, rickets, beriberi, scurvy, pellagra, etc., are the few names of deficiency diseases.

Q.2. Which disease is caused by a deficiency of vitamin ABCD?
Ans: 1. Vitamin A- Night blindness, dryness of skin and hair, retardation of growth.
2. Vitamin B- Beriberi, pellagra
3. Vitamin C- Scurvy       
4. Vitamin D- Rickets

Q.3. What are the causes of deficiency diseases?
Ans: The main causes of deficiency diseases are a poor diet that lacks essential nutrients like leafy vegetables, egg, milk, apple, etc., in our daily routine.

Q.4. What are the symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency?
Ans: Skin rashes, mood swings, cracked and sore lips, tiredness and low lack of energy, etc., are few symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency.

Q.5. Which fruit has more vitamin B12?
Ans: Nuts, asparagus, banana, oranges, peaches, etc., are the few fruits that are rich in vitamin B12.

Learn About Infectious Diseases Here

We hope this detailed article on Deficiency and Diseases helps you in your preparation. If you get stuck do let us know in the comments section below and we will get back to you at the earliest.