Malnutrition describes the condition in which your body suffers the effects of a lack of one or more nutrients in your diet. Malnutrition may result from insufficient calories, poor diet choices or gastrointestinal disorders that affect the digestion or absorption of your food. Protein and calcium are two nutrients essential for optimal health, and insufficient intake of either may result in malnutrition symptoms. Seek the advice of your health care provider if you suspect you may be malnourished.
Background
Your body requires enough dietary protein to support muscle growth, organ function, tissue repair and immune system maintenance. You do not store amino acids, the building blocks of protein, in your body the way you do carbohydrates and fats; therefore, you must consume proteins every day to avoid malnutrition. Calcium, on the other hand, is abundant in your bones, and your body can call on your skeleton to supply the calcium your cells need for muscle contraction, nerve transmission, hormone secretion and cellular signaling. However, insufficient dietary calcium to replenish these stores may result in calcium malnutrition in the long run.
Causes
Protein malnutrition may result from consuming too few calories each day, either for economic reasons or because you are on a weight-loss program. You may suffer from protein malnutrition if your dietary protein is of poor quality, even if your diet contains enough calories. Calcium malnutrition may also occur if your daily calorie intake is too low to sustain optimal health. Alternatively, even if you eat enough, you may not consume enough calcium-rich foods because of lactose intolerance, a dislike of dairy products or poor food choices. Any of these conditions may lead to symptoms of malnutrition.
Symptoms
Early signs of protein malnutrition manifest as a loss of muscle mass, as your body begins to degrade your muscle protein for its amino acid content. A severe lack of high-quality protein in your diet may result in kwashiorkor. Symptoms of this disease include an even greater loss of muscle mass, increased rate of infections due to insufficient immune responses, changes in hair and skin, lethargy and an enlarged belly. Mild calcium deficiency may show no outward signs or symptoms, as your bones can supply your cells with the calcium they need in the short term. Calcium malnutrition over the long term, however, may result in weakened bones and increased risk of fracture due to diminishing skeletal mass.
Considerations
To avoid the risk of protein malnutrition, consume high-quality sources of protein, such as those from meat, milk products and fish, or from combining plant sources of proteins such as beans and rice or beans and corn, to get a complete compliment of necessary amino acids. Include dairy products in your daily diet for their high calcium content, or, alternatively, consume calcium-rich vegetables, including broccoli, kale and spinach. Calcium-fortified orange juice or cereals can also help you avoid calcium malnutrition.
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