Effects of Insufficient Consumption and

Over Consumption of Nutrients (Malnutrition)

We need to eat a range of food to keep the chemical composition of the body is
relatively constant and to stay healthy. Therefore, a balanced diet is needed to ensure that
we obtain the correct type of nutrition in the correct proportion.
Malnutrition results from an unbalanced diet, in which certain nutrients are
deficient, in excess or in the wrong proportions. A person’s health will be adversely
affected if this condition persista over a long period of time.

Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates supply energy so that body cells can function more efficiently. One
gram of carbohydrate is equivalent to 17 kilojoules of energy when completely oxidised.
Insufficient intake of carbohydrate will cause someone to suffer headaches, muscle
cramps, tiredness and diarrhoea because not there is not enough carbohydrate to supply the
tissues with blood sugar. That is why the organs start to malfunction.
However, excessive intake carbohydrates can cause tooth decay or dental caries,
diabetes and obesity. Obese people whose diets are saturated in fat tend to have high level
of cholesterol that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, high blood
pressure and several types of cancer.

Protein
A healthy adult human only needs about 60 grams of protein per day. Protein
deficiency can cause stunted growth as proteins are one of the main components in the
protoplasm of a cell. The formation of new cells and replacement of old or damaged cells
will also be affected as well synthesis of other protein compounds such as enzymes,
hormones and antibodies. The two extreme forms of protein deficiency are marasmus and
kwashiorkor
Furthermore, proteins also can be broken down to provide energy when the body
lacks carbohydrates and fats. Insufficient intake of proteins will cause the body to not have
an energy reserve. Plasma proteins found in the blood functions as to draw water back into
the blood from tissue fluid, lack of blood proteins leads to swollen abdomens amd flaky
skin (Kwashiorkor).
 But if this nutrient is taken too much, the excess amino acids that are produced are
deaminated in the liver and increases the uris acid content in the blood which can
crystalise and form stones in the kidney. Moreover, the uric acid forms crystals in the soft
tissues of the joints and leads to gout.

Lipid
Lipids or fats is a rich source of energy. The oxidation of one gram is equivalent to
38 kilojoules of energy, which is twice more than carbohydrates. It acts as an insulator to
the body, solvents for vitamins A, D, E and K as well as block the loss of water from the
skin surface through the excretion of oil by the sebum gland in the skin.
When a person consumes more calories than required by the body, the excess will
be converted into fat and stored in the adipose tissue. A diet rich in fat results in
cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and arterosclerosis. Artheosclerosis is a condition
when fat (plaques) develop in the internal lining of the blood vessels and impedes the
blood flow as well as increase the blood pressure. This then increases the risk of strokes,
heart attack and myocardinal infections greatly.

Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compunds that is not a source of energy but are needed in
small quantities to preserve or maintain health. They are easily excreted or destroyed at
high temperature and are divided into two; ie water soluble (vitamins B and C) and fat
soluble (vitamins A, D, E, K). Vitamims are largely found in plants such as vegetables and
fruits but are also present in animal sources.
Our bodies cannot synthesise vitamins, thus they are need to be obtained from
food. The lack of this nutrient can affect the health anc cause diseases. The table below
shows the main types of vitamins,function and related deficiency diseases.

TYPE FUNCTIONS DEFICIENCY DISEASES

Vitamin A  Assist growth.  Retarded growth
 Preserve night vision.  Night blindness
 Preserve skin.  Xerophthalmia (cornea disorder)
 Keratomalacia (damaged cornea that can
lead to blindness)
Vitamin B  Preserve nervous and muscular  Beri beri (swollen legs, ankles, muscular
 system. pain)
 Required for cellular respiration.  Pellagra (swelling at the mouth and tongue)
 Formation of red blood cells.  Dermatitis
 Anaemia
Vitamin C  Preserve blood vessels.  Scurvy (bleeding of teeth and gums)
 For healthy skin and healing of  Slow healing of wounds
wounds.  Low resistance toi infections
Vitamin D  Encourage absorption of calcium  Rickets (brittleness of bones in children)
and phosphorous.  Osteomalacia (brittle bones leading to pain
 Preserve growth of strong, in legs, neck and chest in pregnant women)
healthy teeth and bones.  Dental caries
Vitamin E  Maintain function of reproductive  Infertility (mammals)
system.  Hair loss
 Slow down aging cells.  Fast signs of aging skin
Vitamin K  Accelerate clotting of blood  Prolonged bleeding (internal bleeding in the
nose and intestines)
 Anaemia pernicus

The excessive intake of water soluble vitamins is harmless because they can be
secreted in the urine. But excessive consumption of fat soluble vitamins are not secreted
from the body but deposited in the body fat and accumulation of these organic compounds
can become toxic to the body.
 Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances that are present in the form of ions. They are not
sources of energy but are required to maintain the physiological health of the body. Excess
minerals are expelled from the body in the form of urine but lack of minerals can cause
deficiency diseases.

TYPE FUNCTION DEFICIENCY DISEASES

Potassium  Preserve nervous system.  Disorder in the nervous system
 Unstable mental state
Sodium  Preserve nervous system.  Muscular cramps in the limbs and
 Control water content in the abdomen
body.  Abnormal heart beats
Calcium  Form strong, healthy teeth and  Rickets
bones.  Osteomalacia
 Assist blood clotting.  Osteoporosis
 Prolonged bleeding
 High blood pressure
Magnesium  Preserve muscular system and  Weak muscles (fatigue)
functions of tissues.  Convulsion
Iron / Ferrum  Form haemoglobin in blood cells  Anaemia
to increase the efficiency of  Weak body and breathing difficulty
oxygen transport.
Iodine  Assist the production of  Goitre (swollen thyroid glands)
thyroxine that control physical  Cretinism (mental and physical
growth and mental development. retardation)
 Stunted growth
Phosphorous  Form strong, healthy teeth and  Brittleness of bones
bones.  Tooth decay
Flourine  Harden the enamel of teeth.  Dental caries
 Preserve teeth.
Chlorine  Synthesises hydrochloric acid in  Incomplete digestion of protein
the stomach.