Protein Deficiency Diseases - Kwashiorkor and Marasmus

Carbohydrates (also called saccharides) are molecular compounds made from just three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Monosaccharides (e.g. glucose) and disaccharides (e.g. sucrose) and polysaccharide (starch). They are often called sugars.

Nutrients that we obtain through food have vital effects on physical growth and development, maintenance of normal body function, physical activity and health. Nutritious food is, thus needed to sustain life and activity. Our diet must provide all essential nutrients in the required amounts. Requirements of essential nutrients vary with age, gender, physiological status and physical activity. Dietary intakes lower or higher than the body requirements can lead to under nutrition (deficiency diseases) or over nutrition (diseases of affluence) respectively. So, the correct option is 'True'.

Marasmus is caused by a simultaneous deficiency of both proteins and calories (energy), typically affecting infants. Kwashiorkor, on the other hand, is primarily a protein deficiency with adequate calorie intake.

Sunlight exposure helps the human body synthesize Vitamin D from cholesterol in the skin. A deficiency in Vitamin D leads to rickets, a condition characterized by weakened and softened bones in children.

Kwashiorkor is associated with a decrease in serum proteins. The drop is particularly striking in liver-synthesized protein i.e. albumin ( < 2 g/dl against 3-4.5 g/dl ) and lipoproteins. The protein synthesis in liver is dependent upon the supply of alimentary amino acids after each meal. So later if the protein deficiency persist there is again a drop in the level of albumin synthesis which can be noticed immediately.
The ingestion of protein rich food can control kwashiorkor. The treatment can be monitored by measuring plasma albumin concentration, disappearance of edema and gain in body weight.

Kwashiorkor is a protein energy malnutrition that occurs in children, 1 to 5 years of age, due to constantly reduced protein availability while the requirement is high. A kwashiorkor child has match stick legs, protruded pot belly, blotchy skin, bulging eyes, wasted muscles, anaemia, oedema due to deficiency of albumin and repeated diarrhoea.

Kwashiorkor is a protein deficiency disease. It commonly affects infants and children between 1 to 3 year of age. The symptoms are underweight children, stunted growth, poor brain development, loss of appetite, anaemia, dermatitis on lower leg and face. Proteins are necessary for growth, repair of tissue and for body defence therefore adequate amount of proteins must be present in the diet. Daily requirement is 1 gm protein per kg body weight in adult and 2 gm protein per kg body weight in growing children. Important sources of protein in food are cereals, pulses, meat, fish, milk, groundnut, peas etc.

Kwashiorkor is a severe form of malnutrition, caused by a deficiency in dietary protein. It is characterised by the edema, irritability etc. Whereas rickets is the deficiency disorder of vitamin D, scurvy is the deficiency disorder of vitamin C and  carotenemia is caused by the excessive consumption of beta-carotene rich food. Thus, the correct answer is option C.

Kwashiorkor is a severe form of malnutrition, caused by a deficiency in dietary protein. The extreme lack of protein causes an osmotic imbalance in the gastro-intestinal system causing swelling of the gut diagnosed as an edema or retention of water. Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) is a public health problem that exists among children in developing countries, and in certain communities of some developed countries mainly resulting from poor nutritional intake, bad hygiene practices and frequent infections.

Kwashiorkor is a form of malnutrition that occurs when there is not enough protein in the diet. 

Kwashiorkor is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in developing countries. It is a form of malnutrition caused by not getting enough protein in your diet. Every cell in your body contains protein. You need protein in your diet for your body to repair cells and make new cells. A healthy body regenerates cells in this manner constantly. Protein is also important for growth during childhood and pregnancy. 

A diet high in carbohydrates but lacking protein leads to Kwashiorkor. This condition is common in children who are weaned off breast milk onto a starchy, protein-poor diet.

The one whose diet is deficient in proteins is suffering from kwashiorkor. The symptoms of this include, edema or swelling (of face), change in skin and hair color, fatigue, diarrhoea, irritability.
Therefore, the correct answer is option A.

Kwashoprkor is caused by the deficiency of proteins in diet  this disease occurs in children of age group 1 to 5 years. 

Kwashiorkor is a malnutrition disease which occurs due to the deficiency of protein in the diet of children, though the diet may contain adequate amounts of carbohydrate. Meat butter, milk and eggs are richest source of protein.

Kwashiorkor is the classic disease associated with protein deficiency. Scurvy is Vitamin C deficiency, and Pellagra is Niacin deficiency.

Kwashiorkor is a protein-energy malnutrition disease. Night blindness and Xerophthalmia are caused by Vitamin A deficiency, and Beri-beri is caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency.

Marasmus (X) is caused by a deficiency of both proteins and calories. Kwashiorkor (Y) is caused by protein deficiency alone. Therefore, X is Marasmus and Y is Kwashiorkor.

Meat, lentils, milk, and eggs are high-protein foods. A patient is advised to consume these to treat protein deficiency, which manifests as Kwashiorkor.

Albumin is a major plasma protein that maintains oncotic pressure. When protein levels are low, albumin levels drop, leading to fluid leakage into tissues, which causes edema (swelling).

 In kwashiorkor, there is a decrease in the human serum albumin levels. This decrease leads to a deficiency in the protein levels of an individual. This causes accumulation of fluids in the tissue which further causes swelling. This swelling is most common in the abdominal region. The swelling can mainly be attributed to the retention of water in the blood plasma by the osmotic pressure created because of the decreased number of albumins and globulins.

So, the correct answer is 'Albumin and globulins retain water in the blood plasma by their osmotic effects'.

Marasmus is due to protein-energy deficiency that can occur any time if the infant is not provided with sufficient milk. Kwashiorkor mostly occurs due to nonutilisation of protein in the diet caused by aflatoxin accumulation.

• Kwashiorkor, a disease of protein malnutrition, causes low level of blood proteins (serum albumins), which cause poor return of tissue fluid through capillaries. It leads to the swelling of tissues through  increase of its tissue fluid  which results into oedema.
• So,(D) albumin is the correct option.