Life Science Encyclopedia

Many diseases in humans are directly or indirectly caused by improper eating habits and malnutrition. These include, but are not limited to, deficiency diseases, caused by a lack of essential nutrients.

Additionally, several diseases are directly or indirectly impacted by dietary habits, and require very close attention to the nutrient content of food.

Overnutrition (eating too much)

Main article: Overnutrition

Food

See also: Overeating

Calories

• Obesity, which in turn can lead to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Vitamins

• Vitamin poisoning

Microminerals and Macrominerals

• Iron overload disorder

Deficiencies (eating too little)

Main article: Malnutrition

Proteins/fats/carbohydrates

• protein-energy malnutrition
  • kwashiorkor
  • marasmus
  • Mental retardation ^[1]

Vitamin

See also: avitaminosis, and the table of deficiency diseases at human vitamins

• Pellagra -
• Poor immune system function, potentially leading to a wide range of other illnesses.
• Spina bifida
• Vitamin B₁ (thiamine) deficiency causes:
  • Beriberi -
  • Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome -
• Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin) deficiency leads to ariboflavinosis
• Vitamin C (ascorbate) deficiency causes scurvy, deterioration of tissues throughout the body due to reduced collagen synthesis.
• Vitamin D deficiency - is known to cause several bone diseases^[2] including:
  • Rickets - a childhood disease characterized by impeded growth, and deformity, of the long bones.
  • Osteomalacia- a bone-thinning disorder that occurs exclusively in adults and is characterised by proximal muscle weakness and bone fragility.
  • Osteoporosis - a condition characterized by reduced bone mineral density and increased bone fragility.

Microminerals and Macrominerals

• Iodine deficiency
• Iron deficiency
  • Iron deficiency anemia
• Metabolic or nutritionally related disease such as diabetes mellitus or endemic goitre
• Osteoporosis - caused by calcium deficiency
• zinc deficiency (growth retardation)

Foot notes

See also

• Avitaminosis
• Malnutrition
• Essential nutrient
• List of ICD-10 codes (E54-E64) -- detailed taxonomy
• Obesity
• osteoporosis