Download Pellagra When the body doesn`t get the nutrients it needs, its health

Pellagra
When the body doesn't get the nutrients it needs, its health may suffer. The lack of essential nutrients in the system is
called a nutritional deficiency. As the pellagra video demonstrates, a vitamin deficiency, such as too little niacin, can
lead to serious disease. Vitamins are organic substances found in minute amounts in many foods. They are essential
to the body's normal metabolic functioning.
A vitamin deficiency occurs when the body is deprived of a particular vitamin for a period of time. If the deficiency
persists, disease can set in. People at risk of developing a vitamin deficiency include those who rarely eat fruits and
vegetables, those who are under high amounts of stress, those experiencing or recovering from illness that causes
decreased appetites, those dieting to lose weight, and pregnant or nursing women. Today, most vitamin deficiencies
can be detected through a simple blood test.
Vitamin deficiency diseases act on the body in different ways. For example, scurvy, one of the oldest recorded
vitamin deficiency diseases, is caused by a lack of vitamin C. It famously afflicted sailors exploring the New World,
and its symptoms include fatigue; irritability; depression; and bleeding from the gums, under the skin, and around
bones and vital organs. The body needs vitamin C to form healthy connective tissue and gums, strengthen blood
vessels, and produce red blood cells. Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, strawberries, cantaloupe, and
broccoli.
Other vitamin deficiency diseases besides scurvy and pellagra include rickets, a bone disease caused by too little
vitamin D; night blindness, or difficulty seeing in dim light, which is caused by a lack of vitamin A; and pernicious
anemia, a condition in which the body does not make enough red blood cells because of a lack of vitamin B12. Since
vitamin B12 is not produced by the body and is only found in animal sources, including beef, pork, seafood, and
cheeses, those who refrain from eating meats and milk products need to take B 12 supplements.
The best way to avoid vitamin deficiency is to eat a variety of foods that include fruits, vegetables, lean meats,
complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Avoiding alcohol and not smoking can help by decreasing the risk of
nutrient depletion. Taking supplements can make up for vitamins that a diet might lack. However, because a vitamin
overdose can lead to dangerous medical conditions, only physicians or licensed nutritionists should determine
appropriate supplement levels.
Discussion Questions:
1.
What were the main symptoms of pellagra?
2.
What led Dr. Goldberger to his hypothesis for the cause of pellagra? How did he test his hypothesis, and
what were the results?
3.
What evidence was used to rule out infection as a cause of the disease?
4.
Explain how social and economic conditions and scientific knowledge at the time influenced the discovery
of a cure for pellagra.
5.
Why were Dr. Goldberger's results ignored?