Diet & Deficiencies (CIE IGCSE Biology: Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award))
Revision Note
Balanced Diet
- A balanced diet consists of all of the food groups in the correct proportions
- The necessary food groups are:
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Lipids
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Dietary Fibre
- Water
Food Groups Table
Vitamin and Mineral Requirements Table
Varying Dietary Needs of Individuals Table
Scurvy & Rickets
Scurvy
- Scurvy is the name for a severe vitamin C deficiency
- It is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet for over 3 months
- Its symptoms include:
- Anemia
- Exhaustion
- Spontaneous bleeding
- Pain in the limbs
- Swelling
- Gum ulcerations
- Tooth loss
- It is a condition that was commonly seen in sailors between the 15th to 18th centuries
- Long sea voyages made it very hard to access a ready supply of fresh produce
- Scurvy can be treated with oral or intravenous vitamin C supplements
Rickets
- Rickets is a condition in children characterised by poor bone development
- Symtpoms include:
- Bone pain
- Lack of bone growth
- Soft, weak bones (sometimes causing deformities)
- Rickets is caused by a severe lack of vitamin D
- Vitamin D is required for the absorption of calcium into the body
- Calcium is a key component of bones and teeth
- Vitamin D is required for the absorption of calcium into the body
- Vitamin D mostly comes from exposure to sunlight but it can also be found in some foods (fish, eggs and butter)
- The treatment for rickets is to increase consumption of foods containing calcium and vitamin D
- Alternatively vitamin D supplements can be prescribed
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