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Kwashiorkor is a form of malnutrition that occurs when there is not enough protein in the diet.

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What is kwashiorkar and marasmus?

Kwashiorkor and marasmus are both forms of severe malnutrition. Kwashiorkor is characterized by protein deficiency, where the individual has a swollen belly due to fluid accumulation, skin lesions, and hair discoloration. Marasmus, on the other hand, is a more severe form of malnutrition where there is an overall wasting of the body, including muscle and fat loss.


What is nutrient deficiency?

Nutrient deficiency is the deficiency of a nutrient over a long perod of time.It can result in various diseases which can be overcomed by eating a balanced diet.The nutrient deficiency is not cured by eating a lot of food but by ating variety of food .We should help poor get food as they have the most deficiency.The deficiencys are:-Vit.A-Night BlindnessVit B ;-Beri BeriVit C:-ScurvyVit D:- RicketsVit E:-Skin diseaseIron:-AnaemiaCarbohydrate :-MarasmusProtein:-Kwashiorkar


What is a prognosis for kwashiorkor?

Kwashiorkor reflect the attitude of the humanity to itself. Even today we have failed to feed the children. I happened to visit one semi-tribal village three days ago. Every single individual was suffering from some kind of the nutritional deficiency. You can manage to improve the given nutritional deficiency. But the root cause remain untreated. That is poverty. The poor people can not manage to purchase the pulses. You tell the mother to add pulses to the diet of the child. But you are not sure that this will be done. Thirty years back, enough milk was produced in the area, where I live. Now you do not see the milk in the villages. How and why this happened in not known to me. I have seen the innumerable mango trees in my childhood. Now a days you no longer see the mango trees. It was the very good source of fruits, available to poor people in summer. You normally do not have vegetables and fruits in summer. The prognosis of Kwashiorkar can be good, but seem to be very poor.


What is the difference between kwashiorkar and marasmus?

Marasmus is caused by a severe deficiency of nearly all nutrients, especially protein and calories. A child with marasmus looks emaciated and body weight may be reduced to less than 80% of the normal weight for that height. Marasmus occurrence increases prior to age 1 whereas kwashiorkor occurrence increases after 18 months. Kwashiorkor is a type of malnutrition with controversial causes, but it is commonly believed to be caused by insufficient protein intake. It usually affects children aged 1-4 years, although it also occurs in older children and adults.


What disease wiil occur if you are lacking protein?

When you don't have enough protein in your diet, your body uses muscles instead. This is called starvation, also known as Kwashiorkor. Protein deficiency is extremely rare in the developed world. Nearly all unrefined foods contain enough protein to meet or exceed your needs. Unless you are eating nothing but sugar, margarine, and alcohol, you're probably getting enough protein.


What diseases relate to poor nutrition?

Most diseases have a nutritional basis since good nutrition supports a healthy immune system to ward off infectious diseases. There are some nutritional deficiencies that produce serious health issues with specific names, such as scurvy which results from a deficiency of vitamin C. Other such diseases are ricketts, a weakened bone condition caused by a lack of vitamin D (usually obtained by exposure to sunlight, but has been added as fortification to foods in order to prevent this disease among those who do not get sufficient sunlight or have poor bodily response to sunlight); goiter, which is an enlarged thyroid gland caused by lack of iodine in the diet; anemia, from lack of iron; pernicious anemia, caused by lack of vitamin B12; nerve disorders from lack of B vitamins; appetite disorders caused by lack of B vitamins and/or iron; and bleeding disorders from lack of vitamin K. Loss of night vision results from vitamin A deficiency, lack of protein can result in several problems including kwashiorkor--a wasting disease whereby the body attacks its own tissues to make up for the starvation it is enduring. Bone loss can come about from a lack of any or all of these: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and or vitamin D. Without the appropriate oils found in good food sources, skin, tissues, joints, and hair suffer loss of resiliency. Lack of selenium and other trace minerals affects everything from mental stability to bone and tooth strength. Other disease processes are caused by too much food or nutritional substances. Type II Diabetes is caused by nutritional overload of sugars and fats causing a burden on the body's ability to convert them to usable blood sugars at a steady pace. Hypoglycemia is also caused by an overload of sugars or simple carbohydrates but the body's reaction is the opposite of Type II Diabetes--instead of little or no insulin available to deal with the sugars which flood the bloodstream, a lot of insulin is dumped into the bloodstream triggering a sudden drop in blood sugar levels. High blood pressure and artherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries") are blamed on elevated cholesterol levels due to high fat diets and high sodium intake. High fat diets and high caloric diets are also to blame for obesity with all of its complications, including break down of knee joints, heart failure, lack of energy, snoring, sleep apnea, and more. Too much protein can cause kidney failure or complications, too much iron can result in death. The body is a finely tuned organism made to run on certain nutrients. Proper balances keep the body healthy and running smoothly and happily. Imbalances cause dis-ease. Good nutrition, the proper use of pure water, sunshine, exercise , fresh air, sleep, and a good relationship with your creator, will keep the body at its peak throughout its lifetime.