Poor Nutrition Can Cause Disease

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HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 11: Eating for Good Health > Poor Nutrition Can Cause Disease

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

Because girls and women often get less food—and less nutritious food—than they need, they are more likely to get sick. Here are some common illnesses caused by poor nutrition.

Anemia

A person with anemia does not have enough iron in their blood. This happens when red blood cells are lost or destroyed faster than the body can replace them. Because blood is lost during menstrual periods, anemia is more common between puberty and menopause. About half of pregnant people in the world are anemic, because they need to make extra blood for the growing baby.

Anemia is a serious illness. A person with anemia is more likely to get other diseases, and to have trouble with work or learning. Someone with anemia is likely to bleed heavily or even die during childbirth.

Signs:

• pale inner eyelids, nails and inside of lip
• weakness and feeling very tired
• dizziness, especially when getting up from a sitting or lying position
• fainting (loss of consciousness)
• shortness of breath
• fast heartbeat

Causes of anemia:

For more information about malaria and parasites see Where There Is No Doctor or another general medical book.

The most common cause of anemia is not eating enough food rich in iron, since iron is needed to make red blood cells.

Other causes are:

• malaria, which destroys red blood cells
• any kind of blood loss, such as:
  • heavy bleeding during menstrual periods
  • childbirth
  • bloody diarrhea (dysentery) from parasites
  • bleeding stomach ulcers
  • a wound that bleeds a lot

Treatment and prevention:

• If malaria or parasites are causing your anemia, treat those first.
• Eat foods rich in iron, along with foods rich in vitamins A and C, which help the body absorb iron. Citrus fruits and tomatoes are rich in vitamin C. Dark yellow and dark green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamin A. If you cannot eat enough foods rich in iron, you may need to take iron pills.
• Avoid drinking black tea or coffee, or eating bran (the outer layer of grains) with meals. These can prevent the body from absorbing iron from food.
• If your water is not safe to drink, purify it to prevent infection from parasites.

More Information

cleanliness

• Use a latrine for passing stool, so that worm eggs will not spread to food and water sources. If hookworms are common in your area, try to wear shoes.
• Space births at least 2 years apart. This will give your body a chance to store some iron between pregnancies.

Beriberi

Beriberi is a disease caused by lack of thiamine (one of the B vitamins), which helps the body turn food into energy. Like anemia, beriberi happens most often in the years between puberty and menopause, and in very young children.

Beriberi occurs most often when the main food is a grain whose outer skin has been removed (for example, polished rice) or a starchy root, like cassava.

Signs:

• not wanting to eat
• severe weakness, especially in the legs
• the body becomes very swollen or the heart stops working

Treatment and prevention:

Eat whole grain (brown) rice rather than polished (white) rice. Eat foods rich in thiamine, like meat, poultry, fish, liver, whole grain cereals, legumes (peas, beans, clover), milk, and eggs. If this is difficult, a person may need thiamine pills.

Problems from eating too much processed foods and “junk” foods

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high blood pressure

More Information

cancer

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arthritis

As more people move from the countryside to the city and our work prevents us from having the time or conditions to prepare healthy meals, the foods we eat change. Because highly processed or “junk” foods can be cheap, easy, and fast, many of us are eating more of them. People who eat a lot of these foods are more likely to have high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, gallstones, diabetes, and some cancers.

• Drink water, unsweetened juices, and teas instead of sweetened juices and sodas.
• Eat healthy foods that are fast and easy, like fruits, nuts, seeds, cheese, and cooked or raw vegetables instead of “junk” foods.
• Share the work of planning and preparing meals with family members to save time.
• If it is difficult to get healthy foods because of cost or availability, see these suggestions.

Diabetes can also develop during pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes. If you are pregnant and are always thirsty or are losing weight, see a health worker to test your blood for sugar

Diabetes

Diabetes is a problem in which the body cannot use sugars in the blood. It can lead to blindness, loss of limbs, coma, or even death. Type 1 diabetes usually starts in childhood. Type 2 diabetes usually starts in adulthood, but is becoming more common in young people.

Signs can include:

• urinating often and a lot
• always thirsty
• always hungry
• blurry eyesight
• weight loss
• always tired
• frequent yeast infections
• skin is dry and itchy
• wounds heal slowly

All these signs can also be caused by other diseases. See a health worker who will test your blood to find out if you have diabetes.

There may be plants in your area that are helpful for diabetes. Check with a health worker.

Treatment:

If you have Type 2 diabetes, you should see a health worker to check the sugar in your blood and see if you need medicines How you eat and how you exercise are also important.

Check your feet once a day to see if you have any sores or signs of infection.

• Eat small amounts of food throughout the day This helps your blood sugar stay at the same level
• Be mindful of how much starchy food (like rice and white or processed flours) and sugars you eat, and how much alcohol you drink All of these increase the sugar in your blood
• Eat more fiber and leafy vegetables
• Get 30 minutes of physical activity each day

If possible, see a health worker regularly to make sure your treatment is helping To prevent infection and injury to the skin, clean your teeth after eating, keep your skin clean, and always wear shoes to prevent foot injuries Check your feet and hands once a day to see if you have any sores If you have a sore and there are any signs of infection (redness, swelling, or heat), see a health worker

This page was updated:22 Jan 2024