List of illnesses caused by poor nutrition

Overview
Many diseases in humans are directly or indirectly caused by improper eating habits and malnutrition. These include, but are not limited to, deficiency diseases, caused by a lack of essential nutrients.

Additionally, several diseases are directly or indirectly impacted by dietary habits, and require very close attention to the nutrient content of food.

Food

 * See also: Overeating

Calories

 * Obesity, which in turn can lead to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Vitamins

 * Vitamin poisoning

Microminerals and Macrominerals

 * Iron overload disorder

Proteins/fats/carbohydrates

 * protein-energy malnutrition
 * kwashiorkor
 * marasmus
 * Mental retardation

Vitamin

 * See also: avitaminosis, and the table of deficiency diseases at human vitamins


 * Pellagra -
 * Poor immune system function, potentially leading to a wide range of other illnesses.
 * Spina bifida
 * Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency causes:
 * Beriberi -
 * Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome -
 * Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) deficiency leads to ariboflavinosis
 * Vitamin C (ascorbate) deficiency causes scurvy, deterioration of tissues throughout the body due to reduced collagen synthesis.
 * Vitamin D deficiency - is known to cause several bone diseases including:
 * Rickets - a childhood disease characterized by impeded growth, and deformity, of the long bones.
 * Osteomalacia- a bone-thinning disorder that occurs exclusively in adults and is characterised by proximal muscle weakness and bone fragility.
 * Osteoporosis - a condition characterized by reduced bone mineral density and increased bone fragility.

Microminerals and Macrominerals

 * Iodine deficiency
 * Iron deficiency
 * Iron deficiency anemia
 * Metabolic or nutritionally related disease such as diabetes mellitus or endemic goitre
 * Osteoporosis - caused by calcium deficiency
 * zinc deficiency (growth retardation)