CONDITIONING FACTORS IN NUTRITIONAL DISEASE

Abstract

Malnutrition may be caused by conditions other than a primary dietary deficiency. These include factors that interfere with the absorption and utilization of nutrients or those that increase their destruction and excretion. Body requirements for essential nutrients may furthermore be significantly increased for purposes of detoxification or by factors such as physical exertion, fever, drugs, toxins, abnormal environmental conditions, pregnancy, lactation, hyperthyroidism and related conditions which result in an increased metabolic requirement on the part of the tissue cell. The net result of such factors is an increased body requirement beyond the usual or avg. range and the precipitation of nutritional deficiencies on diets that would otherwise be adequate were such factors not operative. In the present review, a critical survey has been made of current literature in respect to these factors and their effect on the vitamin, mineral, and amino acid requirements of exptl. animals and man.