A disease that occurs due to lack of adequate and balanced diet is called deficiency disease. Intake of improper or inadequate diet in human beings is called malnutrition. Malnutrition is harmful for children as it retards their mental and physical growth.
Deficiency diseases due to inadequate nutrition are of three types:
Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM)
Mineral deficiency diseases
Vitamin deficiency diseases
Deficiency of proteins in the diet causes PEM. This is the prime reason why you should drink milk, eat pulses and other sources of proteins. Two diseases caused due to PEM are - Marasmus and Kwashiorkor.
Marasmus
It affects children up to one year of age. This occurs in children deprived of mother’s milk. The symptoms of this disease include:
It can be cured by ensuring mother’s milk for infants and by having a diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Kwashiorkor
Among children of age group 1-5 years, protein deficiency causes kwashiorkor. The symptoms of this disease are:
Eating a protein-rich diet that consists of milk, meat, groundnut, soyabean, jaggery can cure this disease.
The two common mineral deficiency diseases are - goitre and anaemia.
Goitre
Caused due to prolonged iodine deficiency which causes enlargement of thyroid gland. Iodized salts and seafood are good sources of iodine.
Anaemia
Iron deficiency causes lesser production of haemoglobin (respiratory pigment), resulting in anaemia. An iron-rich diet consisting of spinach, apple, banana, guava, eggs, groundnuts can help to cure anaemia.