Topic: Vitamins and minerals
Question: Describe the nutritional deficiencies associated with an alcoholic person. Explain the reasons for the same.
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Alcoholics often suffer from nutritional deficiencies due to several reasons:
1. Poor diet: Alcoholics often have a poor diet low in nutrients. Their diet is often high in calories from alcohol but low in proteins, vitamins and minerals from food.
2. Malabsorption: Chronic alcohol use can damage the lining of the stomach and intestines, impairing the absorption of nutrients. In particular, alcohol impairs folate, vitamin B12 and thiamine absorption.
3. Liver damage: Alcohol causes liver inflammation and scarring, impairing the liver’s ability to store and activate certain nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K. The liver is also important for converting nutrients into their active forms, which is impaired in alcoholics.
4. Gut inflammation: Alcohol causes gut inflammation and leaky gut, which impairs digestion and absorption of nutrients. This can also lead to diarrhea resulting in loss of nutrients.
5. Hormonal imbalances: Alcohol causes hormonal imbalances including high cortisol levels. This can further deplete nutrients and compound nutritional deficiencies.
6. displacement of calories: A large portion of an alcoholic’s calorie and nutrient intake comes from alcohol itself. This displaces more nutritious foods and leads to deficiencies in protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.
The common nutritional deficiencies in alcoholics include:
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Important for carbohydrate metabolism and nerve health. Deficiency can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
• Vitamin B9 (Folate) and B12 (Cobalamin): Important for cell growth and metabolism. Deficiency can lead to anemia.
• Vitamin A: Important for vision, immune function and healthy skin.
• Vitamin D: Important for bone health and immunity.
• Protein malnutrition: Can lead to muscle wasting, fluid imbalance and impaired immunity.
• Electrolyte imbalance: Specifically low sodium, potassium and magnesium levels which can cause cardiac and neurological problems.
• Antioxidant deficiencies: Of vitamins C, E and carotenoids which help prevent cell damage.
• Zinc deficiency: Important for wound healing, taste and immunity.
• Iron-deficiency anemia: Can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath and palpitations.
