What happens pellagra?

What happens pellagra?

Pellagra is a systemic disease that results from severe vitamin B3 (Niacin) deficiency. Mild deficiency may go unnoticed, but a diet chronically low or without Niacin may result in the 4 D’s: diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and possibly even death. Usually diarrhea will occur before the other D’s.

What are the 4 D’s in pellagra?

Pellagra defines systemic disease as resulting from a marked cellular deficiency of niacin. It is characterized by 4 “D’s”: diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and death. Diagnosis of pellagra is difficult in the absence of the skin lesions, and is often facilitated by the presence of characteristic ones.

What are the symptoms of niacin deficiency?

Niacin Deficiency Symptoms

• thick, scaly pigmented rash on skin exposed to sunlight.
• swollen mouth and bright red tongue.
• vomiting and diarrhea.
• headache.
• apathy.
• fatigue.
• depression.
• disorientation.

What caused the pellagra epidemic?

Today the causes of pellagra are well understood. As noted above, the primary cause of the disease is inadequate niacin consumption, and secondary causes include a deficiency in tryptophan (which is found in meat, fish, and eggs, and the body converts to niacin) and excess leucine (which inhibits niacin metabolism).

What are common signs of pellagra?

Symptoms of pellagra include:

• Delusions or mental confusion.
• Diarrhea.
• Weakness.
• Loss of appetite.
• Pain in abdomen.
• Inflamed mucous membrane.
• Scaly skin sores, especially in sun-exposed areas of the skin.

How many people have died from pellagra?

Some of the symptoms she saw in both the mothers and surviving pups resembled those of a debilitating disease called pellagra. The illness affected more than 3 million people and killed more than 100,000 in the United States, primarily in the South, between 1900 and 1940.

What disease is caused by niacin deficiency?

Niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency results in a condition known as pellagra. Pellagra includes the triad of dermatitis, dementia, and diarrhea and can result in death. Niacin deficiency can occur through genetic disorders, malabsorptive conditions, and interaction with certain medications.

What are signs of pellagra?

What are the benefits of a corn based diet?

It provides you with a high dose of dietary fiber. Just once serving of corn can provide people with up to 10% of their recommended amount of daily fiber. This high fiber option creates more regularity within the digestive tract and there are a wide variety of ways it can be used.

What are the pros and cons of eating corn?

If you eat corn expecting the benefits of a vegetable, however, and then you eat other high-carb grains and food products, then you can overwhelm your system on a corn-based diet rather rapidly. 3. Corn products are usually genetically modified.

Why is corn bad for you when you have diabetes?

To counter this issue, the body does the only thing it can do to regulate levels: turn corn sugars into fat. This also means blood sugar levels become unstable and makes corn a difficult food to consume when diabetes or a pre-diabetic condition has been diagnosed.

How did the introduction of corn lead to vitamin B deficiency?

Within a few years the Spaniards had introduced maize (corn) around the Mediterranean. When corn was introduced to the countries of Africa it led to a serious imbalance in the diet of the African people. Soon the Africans became over reliant on corn and in return suffered from Vitamin B deficiency…Pellagra.