Illnesses related to poor nutrition
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Many diseases in humans are thought to be directly or indirectly related to nutrition, These include, but are not limited to, deficiency diseases, caused by a lack of essential nutrients.
Overnutrition:
- Cardiovascular disease (Leading cause of death in the western world); a primary cause is thought to be ingestion of saturated fat and trans fat
- Some cancers
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity
Vitamin deficiencies:
- beriberi
- rickets
- scurvy
- vitamin deficiency disease
- kwashiorkor
- pellagra
- poor immune system function, potentially leading to a wide range of other illnesses.
- osteoporosis - caused by calcium deficiency
Trace mineral deficiencies
- metabolic or nutritionally related disease such as diabetes mellitus or endemic goitre
- zinc deficiency (growth retardation)
Additionally, several diseases are directly or indirectly impacted by dietary habits, and require very close attention to the nutrient content of food. These include: