Carbohydrate Deficiency Diseases: Symptoms, Causes & Treatments
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You must have heard about carbs, their intake, and their role from a fitness enthusiast. However, it is a common misconception about carbohydrates that you should only consume them in smaller amounts.
So, what is the truth? Less consumption of carbs than required leads to deficiency diseases that may affect your body negatively. To know about the carbohydrate deficiency disease, its causes, and treatment, join us in this blog till the end.
What is a Carbohydrate?
Carbs or carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient that serves as a primary source of energy for your body. It gets broken down into glucose that the body uses as fuel for cell tissues and different organs. They give you the strength to do daily activities like walking, working, or even thinking.
Carbs are found in foods like rice, bread, fruits, and vegetables. It can be of any type of starch, sugar, or fiber. Eating the right amount of healthy carbs helps keep your body active and your brain sharp.
Carbohydrate-Deficiency Symptoms
Here is the list of common symptoms that carbohydrate deficiency results in:
- Insufficient Energy: You will not get proper energy as carbs give energy to cells, tissues, and other organs.
- Low Appetite: The digestive system stops working properly, and you do not feel hungry.
- Nausea: It also results in nausea and dizziness.
- Constipation: Carb deficiency also leads to constipation in the human body.
- Bad Breath (Halitosis): When the body burns fat instead of carbs, it makes chemicals called ketones. These give the breath a strange smell.
- Dehydration: Carbs present in fruit and vegetables keep our body hydrated.
- Impaired Performance: Your muscles need carbs for energy. With low-carb, you will feel less energetic.
- Mood Changes: Carbs help make a “happy hormone” called serotonin. Low carbs can cause mood swings, irritation, or sadness.
- Malnutrition: Carbohydrate is an essential part of a balanced diet. Its deficiency can lead to malnutrition in a person’s body.
- Ketosis Effects: This may cause tiredness, weakness, and brain fog.
Carbohydrate Deficiency Diseases Chart
Here is the chart showing diseases caused due to carbohydrate deficiency with their symptoms:
| Disease | Key Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Diabetes | Frequent urination, excessive thirst, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow healing. |
| Galactosemia | Vomiting, poor feeding, jaundice, liver issues, and developmental delays. |
| Ketosis | Fruity breath, fatigue, nausea, headache, and rapid weight loss. |
| Hunter Syndrome | Coarse facial features, joint stiffness, hearing loss, and developmental delay. |
| Hurler Syndrome | Abnormal facial features, enlarged organs, short height, and breathing issues. |
| Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS I) | Delayed growth, joint stiffness, enlarged liver, and cloudy eyes. |
| Mucolipidosis | Developmental delays, muscle weakness, bone changes, vision or speech issues. |
| Pompe Disease | Muscle weakness, breathing problems, an enlarged heart, and feeding difficulty. |
What Causes Carbohydrate Deficiency?
Carbohydrate deficiency happens when your body does not get enough carbs from food or cannot digest them properly. Common causes include:
- Poor Diet: Eating no or few carb-rich foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Carbohydrate Intolerance: The body sometimes does not digest certain carbs.
- Strict Low-Carb Diets: Diets like keto that avoid carb consumption.
- Chronic Illnesses: Diseases affecting the gut, liver, or pancreas that reduce carb absorption.
- Malnutrition: Lack of balanced food intake leads to low energy and nutrient supply.
How to Check Carbohydrate Deficiency in the Human Body?
There are many ways to check carbohydrate-deficiency diseases in the human body. Some of the common diagnostic methods are as follows:
- Clinical Symptoms: There are some early signs of carb deficiency, including tiredness, weakness, dizziness, and poor concentration.
- Dietary History: You can also check your eating habits to find whether the level of carbs is too low or not absorbed properly.
- Blood Glucose Test: You can also check your glucose level to know about low-carb intake.
- HbA1c Test: You can go for this test, which shows average blood sugar over the past 2–3 months.
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): It measures low sugar levels after drinking glucose.
- Serum Insulin Test: It helps understand how the body responds to glucose and detect insulin resistance.
- Ketone Monitoring: There are some urine or blood tests for ketones to detect severe carb shortage due to fasting or a keto diet.
Treatment for Carbohydrate-Deficient Diseases
Here is the list of treatment suggestions that you should look for in case of carbohydrate-deficient diseases:
- Dietary Changes: Eat enough carbs daily.
- Consult a Dietitian: A registered dietician can make a meal plan that will suit your body.
- Supplements: Doctors may suggest glucose or carb-rich supplements.
- Treat Underlying Conditions: Get medical treatment from an expert if required.
- Education and Awareness: Learn about the role of carbs in the body.
Best Carbohydrate Sourcing Food
Here is the list of the best carbohydrate-sourcing foods:
| Food Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Whole Grains | Brown rice, oats, quinoa, barley, and whole wheat bread |
| Fruits | Bananas, apples, mangoes, berries, and oranges |
| Vegetables | Sweet potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, and beetroot |
| Legumes | Beans, lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans |
| Dairy Products | Milk, yogurt, and kefir |
| Nuts & Seeds | Chia seeds, flaxseeds, and cashews |
| Tubers & Roots | Potatoes, yams, and taro |
Are Carbs Good or Bad?
Carbs are not fully good or bad. The right amount of carbs is important because they give your body energy. Good carbs, like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, provide energy along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. But eating too many refined or sugary carbs, like white bread, sweets, and soft drinks, can lead to health problems.
So, carbs are good when you choose the healthy ones and eat them in the right amount. More or less than the required quantity will always lead to some negative impact on your body.
Conclusion
Carbohydrates give energy to the body. If you do not eat enough carbs, it can cause problems like tiredness, mood changes, and weakness. The best way to stay healthy is to eat a balanced diet with good carbs like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
In case of a deficiency of carbs, you may have to deal with many diseases. So, it is good to consume an advisable amount of good carbs per day. If the problem continues, it is better to visit a doctor or a dietician.
FAQs
Carbohydrate-deficient diseases happen when the body does not get enough carbohydrates. This can cause problems like weakness, tiredness, and poor growth.
The common signs are fatigue, dizziness, mood changes, constipation, and weight loss.
They can be caused by eating too few carbs, following strict low-carb diets, or health problems that stop the body from absorbing carbs properly.
You can prevent them by eating healthy carb-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes every day.
Treatment includes adding more carbs to the diet, taking supplements if needed, and treating any health conditions that block carb absorption.
Carbohydrates give energy to the body and brain, help in digestion with fibre, and support overall health.
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