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Article: Nutritional Deficiency
- Article from:
- Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Nutritional Deficiency
Nutritional deficiencies
occur when a person's
nutrient
intake consistently falls below the recommended requirement. Nutritional deficiencies can lead
to a variety of health problems, the most prevalent of which are
anemia
, beriberi,
osteoporosis
, pellagra, and
rickets
. Anemia occurs when the body does not have enough red blood cells to transport
oxygen
from the lungs to the body's cells. The most common symptom of anemia is a constant feeling of
fatigue
. Making sure that one's
diet
contains the proper amounts of
iron
,
folate
, and vitamin B
12
can prevent anemia.
Prolonged thiamine deficiency can result in one of the more serious nutritional ...