Clinical application
Kwashiorkor
Kwashiorkor, an often fatal disease in children, is caused by dietary protein deprivation.
Severe limitation of dietary protein is a worldwide nutritional problem. In children, this type of nutritional deprivation causes a disease called kwashiorkor, a term used by the Ga tribe in Ghana for “weaning disease.” As the name implies, the disease commonly observed in babies who receive inadequate protein diets after weaning. Kwashiorkor is quite prevalent in parts of Asia, Africa, and South America where grains lacking one or more essential amino acids are the major protein source. Kwashiorkor causes severe liver, kidney, and pancreas degeneration, leading to a high death rate. Symptoms include growth retardation, anemia, and abnormal fluid accumulation. Meat, milk, and other protein-rich foods stop the disease’s progress. Unfortunately, the introduction of protein-rich foods is often too late to stop irreversible damage to mental ability.