Question

When there is a deficiency in protein . What are disease cause due protein deficiency

Answer 1

Protein deficiency is mainly a result of malnutrition. The amino acids in proteins enable the growth and function of the human body. When the body does not receive enough proteins from the foods consumed and the protein reserved in the body is depleted, it can result in two major protein deficiency diseases in children. Both the conditions mentioned below occur when infants and toddlers are weaned away from breast milk prematurely, which is more prevalent in parts of developing countries, where families tend to have several children in a short span of time. Children born too close together are unable to get enough protein from breast milk that has to be shared between all the children. Thus, protein deficiency becomes common resulting in the following diseases.
Marasmus: When infants below one year of age are weaned from breast milk and their diet is replaced with less nutritive food, they may develop a condition called Marasmus. This is signified by a sudden, massive reduction in body weight. Further, the body tissues begin to waste away, the brain weight reduces, the ribs become visible through the skin, and digestion is affected resulting in the growth of the belly. Hair and skin are affected. The skin becomes shriveled, the body becomes frail and weak, the face looks gaunt and the eyes appear sunken. The development of the brain is affected and this condition may result in mental retardation.
Kwashiorkor: Due to the cause mentioned above, a child aged 1-3 years may develop this condition known as Kwashiorkor. This is evident in signs such as irritability, and patchy, cracked and scaly skin. It results in stunted growth of the child, thinning of the body, curving of the legs, and is also marked by bulging eyes.
To avoid this, it is first important to ensure that the lactating mother should receive adequate proteins for her body. Then, a child should be breast fed until an appropriate age. These diseases (depending on their severity) can be overcome by having the child consume some protein-rich foods such as jaggery, peanuts, wheat, corn, and gram in appropriate amounts. Apart from these severe diseases, protein deficiency may also be visible in the form of certain symptoms that can affect adults too.