Basics of malnutrition

1. SEMINAR PRESENTATION
ON
BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF MULNUTRITION
BY
ADEWALE SODIQ
MATRIC NUMBER: 1909001031
DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY

2. OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Nutrition
• Nutritional requirements
• Malnutrition
• Classifications of malnutrition
• Causes of malnutrition in the society
• Clinical forms of malnutrition
• Biochemicals basis of malnutrition
• Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
• The human body contains chemical compounds such as water, carbohydrates, amino acids (found in proteins),
fatty acids (found in lipids), and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).
• These compounds are composed of elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
• Human nutrition deals with the provision of essential nutrients in food that are necessary to support human life
and good health.
• Poor nutrition is a chronic problem often linked to poverty, food security, or a poor understanding of nutritional
requirements

4. NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

5. MALNUTRITION
• Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health
problems.
• Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which
adversely affects the body's tissues and form
• Malnutrition is a category of diseases that includes undernutrition and overnutrition
• Undernutrition is a lack of nutrients, which can result in stunted growth, wasting, and underweight.
• A surplus of nutrients causes overnutrition, which can result in obesity.

6. CLASSIFICATION OF MALNUTRITION

7. CLINICAL FORMS OF ACUTE MALNUTRITION
• There are 3 clinical forms of acute
malnutrition.
• Marasmus – severe weight loss or
wasting
• Kwashiorkor – bloated appearance due
to water retention (bi-lateral oedema).
• Marasmic-kwashiorkor – a combination
of both wasting and bi-lateral oedema.
Two children with protein-energy malnutrition, compared with a normal child in the
middle. The child on the left of the normal child exhibits marked muscle wasting
with no oedema, characteristic of marasmus; the child on the right has severe
muscle wasting with oedema representing marasmic kwashiorkor

8. CAUSES OF MALNUTRITION

9. BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF MALNUTRITION
Physiologic system Clinical impact
Immune system • Reduced immunity due to atrophy of the thymus, lymph nodes and tonsils
• ReducedT-lymphocytes –
• Reduced immunoglobulin A Increased susceptibility to infection
Endocrine system • Reduced thyroid hormones- Increased growth hormone
• Glucose intolerance
Respiratory system • Impaired breathing response to hypoxia

10. BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF MALNUTRITION CONT’D
Physiologic system Clinical impact
Cardiovascular system • Reduced cardiac output proportionate to weight loss Bradycardia, arrhythmias,
hypotension
cachexia • In addition, cytokine release in cachexia, especially the release of tumour necrosis factor
(TNF), IL-1 and IL-6, can negatively influence body composition through a reduction in
appetite and food intake, and direct catabolic effects on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue
Gastrointestinal system • Malabsorption due to atrophy of villi Bacterial overgrowth Atrophy of the pancreas
Neurological effects • Reductions in number of neurons and synapses
• Slowed brain growth
• Delays in global brain function, motor function and memory

11. CONCLUSION
• Malnutrition, which is often overlooked by clinicians, is common and has wide-ranging effects on
physiological function. It is associated with increased rates of morbidity and mortality in hospital patients and
significantly increases healthcare costs.
• Acute malnutrition is a nutritional deficiency resulting from either inadequate energy or protein intake.
Children with primary acute malnutrition are common in developing countries as a result of inadequate food
supply caused by social, economic, and environmental factors

12. THANKS
FOR
LISTENING