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Malnutrition and Deficiency Diseases: Uncovering the Link Between Nutrition and Health

TeamAckoMar 27, 2024

A balanced nutritional diet is the solution to having a healthy body and living a hearty life. The functions of your body depend on the type of diet you are consuming and the physical activity you participate in.

However, a deficiency of minerals and vitamins in the body can lead to serious health issues, like malnutrition, deficiency diseases, etc. This blog will cover the nutrition and health links and how to improve your health through a nutrient-rich diet.

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Contents

What is Malnutrition?
What are Deficiency Diseases?
How Malnutrition and Deficiency Diseases Affect Your Health?
How Proper Nutrition Can Improve Your Health?
Final Word
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Malnutrition?

Malnutrition is the imbalance between the nutrients your body requires and the nutrients it gets. It can be either undernutrition or overnutrition. Undernutrition can happen due to less consumption of vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbohydrates, whereas overnutrition can occur due to overconsumption. Hence, if your body does not have an adequate amount of nutrients, it can affect your health, leading to malnutrition.

What are Deficiency Diseases?

It is one of the most common and neglected medical issues all over the world. Deficiency diseases occur due to insufficient essential minerals, vitamins and other organic elements in your body. Moreover, the shortage of a healthy diet and proper awareness of food consumption, leads to the deficiency of such crucial components. Some of the most common deficiency diseases comprise vitamin D, vitamin B9 and vitamin B12 deficiencies.

How Malnutrition and Deficiency Diseases Affect Your Health?

Malnutrition and deficiency diseases can affect your health in various ways. From weakness and fatigue to serious health issues, all can be a sign of malnutrition and deficiency diseases. Here are some common health problems that arise due to malnutrition and deficiency diseases:

Heart Issues or Cardiovascular Issues

Following a poor diet or consuming less nutritious food can lead to heart issues. In addition, over-consumption may trigger inflammation, leading to heart diseases such as stroke.

Muscle Impairment

Having an inadequate diet may cause your body’s muscles to function abnormally and lead to major issues. Moreover, training your body without adequate nutrients can lead to muscle injury. Nevertheless, if you have a diet rich in amino acids, it will maximise the protein synthesis in your muscles.

Decreased Energy Levels

Consuming unhealthy diets high in sugar, salt, processed meals, and carbs might raise your blood sugar level. It will make you feel lethargic and reduce your energy levels.

Increased Risk of Memory Problems

Following a poor nutritious diet can lead to severe consequences, such as dementia, in the long term. However, when you consume nutritious food, the chances of memory loss are reduced and help you enjoy a healthy life.

Reduces Immunity

When you follow a poor diet, with very little nutrition in it, it reduces your immunity to fight illnesses. A poor diet can lead you to fall ill and take more time to recover fully from the illness. Nevertheless, following a healthy and nutritious diet will help you avoid all these issues.

Affects Mood

Consuming starchy, sugary foods, and white bread can lead to energy loss and also affect your mood at the same time. It is due to the high glycemic load of these foods, which leads to a spike in blood sugar levels and insulin responses.

How Proper Nutrition Can Improve Your Health?

Following a healthy and nutritious diet helps your body receive adequate nutrients to live a healthy life. The nutrients and health link helps an individual to lead a stress-free life without any health issues. Here are a few benefits of following a nutritious diet:

Manage Healthy Weight

Eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, whole grains, and an adequate quantity of unsaturated fats helps you maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight ensures the risk of chronic diseases is minimal. You can follow a diet rich in dietary fibres, as it makes you feel fuller for a long duration and helps you maintain a healthy weight.

Improves Heart Health

A proper nutritious diet rich in vegetables, fruits, low-fat foods and whole grains reduces the chances of heart diseases, as this diet maintains cholesterol and blood pressure levels. When you have high cholesterol levels, your heart’s arteries become thin, which leads to heart blockages, affecting your heart’s health.

Manages Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common disorders, affecting millions of people globally. One of the primary reasons for suffering from diabetes is due to following unhealthy eating habits. Following a healthy and nutritious diet helps diabetic persons manage healthy sugar levels and delay diabetes complications.

Reduces Cancer Risk

Cancer is one the most deadly diseases that affect individuals irrespective of their age. An unhealthy lifestyle is one of the causes of cancer. Hence, consuming foods rich in antioxidants reduces the chances of developing cancer, as they protect the cells from damage.

Improves Digestion

If you follow a nutritious diet, you can improve digestion and maintain good gut health. You can consume fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, miso and curd, as they contain probiotics, essential for digestion and metabolism. Moreover, you can consume fibre-rich vegetables to prevent diverticulitis and bowel cancer.

Final Word

Henceforth, nutrients and health links in a positive way, to help you improve your health and live a healthy life. You must follow a healthy and nutritious diet to avoid malnutrition and deficiency diseases, as they will affect your health and lead to heart problems in the long run. Moreover, nutrients are important for survival and help all the parts of your body to function properly, letting you avoid all illnesses and disorders.

In addition, you can get health insurance to ensure a healthy lifestyle in the long run. It will cover expenses arising because of medical costs, health issues and other medical emergencies, so you do not have to bear such huge expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Given below are answers to some commonly asked questions about nutrition and health links.

What is the link between health and nutrition?

Nutrition is a significant part of health and development. Better nutrition indicates a healthy lifestyle, reducing the chances of suffering from serious and deadly diseases.

What happens if I do not treat malnutrition?

If you do not treat malnutrition on time, you will have to face serious consequences leading to stunted growth, heart diseases, eye problems and diabetes.

How does nutrition and health complement each other?

If you want to enjoy a healthy life, you must follow a nutritious diet. A nutritious diet ensures that you eat healthy food rich in proteins and fibre so you do not face serious health issues.

What does nutrition do to my body?

A well-nutritional and healthy diet ensures you have the energy to stay active throughout the day. Moreover, it makes sure you get adequate nutrients for muscle repair and growth, protecting you from diet-related diseases.

What are the benefits of following a nutritional diet?

Here are some of the benefits of following a nutritional diet for your health:

Help you live longer
Keeps your eyes, skin and teeth healthy
Enhances your immunity
Supports your muscles
Lowers heart-related diseases

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. Please consult a doctor before making any health-related decisions.