Journal of Nutraceuticals and Health

Nutritional deficiency

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Nutritional illnesses can lead to various health issues, including nutrient deficiencies, eating disorders, obesity, hereditary metabolic disorders, cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, developmental abnormalities, dietary intolerances, and allergies. Currently, over 925 million people around the globe experience chronic undernutrition, which is the most prevalent nutritional condition. The primary signs of undernutrition include weight loss, muscle wasting, body fat depletion, and failure to thrive, all resulting from not consuming enough food to meet energy requirements.

Iron is present in every human cell and plays several vital roles, such as carrying oxygen from the lungs to the tissues as a key part of hemoglobin, acting as a transport medium for electrons in the form of cytochromes, and aiding in oxygen-related enzyme reactions in different tissues. Iron deficiency, or sideropenia, occurs when the body lacks sufficient iron to fulfill its requirements. A shortage of iron can disrupt these critical functions, leading to health issues and even death.

The medical illness known as vitamin B12 deficiency, or cobalamin deficiency, occurs when the amount of vitamin B12 in the blood and tissue is below normal. The range of symptoms is mild to severe. Symptoms of mild deficiencies may be minimal or nonexistent. In moderate deficiency, symptoms may include fatigue, headaches, tongue soreness, mouth ulcers, dyspnea, pallor, hair loss, a fast heartbeat, low blood pressure, severe joint pain, loss of cognitive function, and the onset of neurological symptoms, such as tinnitus, numbness, and pins and needles.

An electrolyte imbalance caused by a low magnesium level in the body is known as magnesium deficiency.  Among the symptoms include nystagmus, tremor, lack of appetite, muscle spasms, impaired coordination, and personality changes. Seizures or cardiac arrest, such as from torsade de pointes, are possible complications. People with low potassium frequently have low magnesium.

Low levels of folate and its derivatives in the body are referred to as folate deficiency, or vitamin B9 deficiency. This can lead to megaloblastic anemia, which is a medical disorder known as folate deficiency anemia and is characterized by unusually big red blood cells. Deficiency in folate might have modest symptoms. Fatigue, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fainting, open sores on the tongue, appetite loss, skin or hair color changes, irritability, and behavioral abnormalities are some of the symptoms.

Zinc deficiency occurs when there isn't enough zinc to fulfill the body's requirements, or when serum zinc levels fall below the normal range. However, serum zinc isn't a reliable measure of zinc status, as a decrease in concentration typically only becomes apparent after significant or prolonged depletion. One of the common symptoms associated with this deficiency is an increased occurrence of diarrhea. Zinc deficiency affects various systems in the body, including the skin, gastrointestinal tract, brain and central nervous system, immune system, skeletal system, and reproductive system.