Fat Deficiency Diseases
- Author :
- TATA AIG Team
- ●
- Last Updated On :
- 30/05/2024
Fats, just like carbohydrates and proteins, are essential nutrients for growth and development, and one's body requires a suitable quantity of essential fats to function healthily. Just as consuming a lot of fat can harm your health, so can consuming too little.
Today, many people focus a lot on living without fat in their diets. They worry about eating too much fat, not too little. People often believe that fat is bad for health and completely avoid it.
However, consuming the right amount of fat is important to avoid fat deficiency diseases.
What is Fat Deficiency?
Fat deficiency is the lack of enough fat in the diet. Deficiency of fats causes multiple fat or lipid deficiency diseases, including Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) deficiency diseases.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are essential fats for everyone's diet. Such fats are critical macronutrients in one's diet that indulge in vital bodily functions like supplying energy, acting as insulators, providing cushioning to organs, and others.
Diseases Caused by a Deficiency of Fats
Humans often fall victim to several fat deficiency diseases. Some of them are listed below:
Colon cancer
Heart diseases
Weaker immune system
Dermatitis
EFA deficiency diseases
Hormonal imbalances
Vitamin deficiency diseases
Fat Deficiency Symptoms
Not consuming enough fats can hinder several biological processes.
Here are some fat deficiency symptoms you must watch out for:
Dry and scaly skin
Inability to lose weight
Increased chances of mental illness
Brittle nails
Hormonal imbalance
Continually feeling hungry
Persistently feeling cold
Poor cholesterol transportation
Vision symptoms, including nighttime vision troubles and reading problems
Increase in omega-9 fatty acids and a decrease in omega-6 fatty acids in the body tissues
Signs of Fat Deficiency
Essential fatty acids are essential for the proper functioning of the human body. Deficiency in such fats can show up in your body in many ways, such as:
Skin Problems: The organ skin is the most affected by lipid deficiency. Dermatitis often causes skin inflammation and swelling, along with dry and scaly rashes on the skin.
Hair Loss: The human body produces prostaglandins, a fatty chemical encouraging hair growth. Insufficient fat may change your hair texture and increase your chances of hair fall.
Hormonal Issues: The endocrine system produces hormones, and for those hormones to function properly, one needs enough minerals, selenium, and vitamins. If you fail to get enough of such nutrients, you probably have out-of-balance hormones. Fat deficiency affects the power of absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Fatigue: Fat deficiency directly impacts the body's ability to absorb minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, which can result in problems such as fatigue. Not having enough of these essential minerals and not feeling full due to fat deficiency can lead to tiredness both mentally and physically.
Low Immunity: If you are prone to falling sick despite consuming vegetables, fruits, and sufficient quantities of carbohydrates, it might be a sign to check if your body is getting sufficient fat. Your immune system may become weak because your body fails to absorb the nutrients you consume, which happens when you are not getting enough fat.
Causes of Fat Deficiency
The major causes of fat deficiency are as follows:
Colectomy or large bowel resection
Eating disorders
Cystic fibrosis
Inflammatory bowel disorders
An excessively low-fat diet
Pancreatic insufficiency
Fat Deficiency Diseases Treatment and Prevention
Consuming dietary fats in adequate quantity is essential to carry out the day-to-day biological processes in the human body.
Children should regularly consume essential fatty acids, making up 2.7% of their daily calorie requirement.
You can treat a lipid disorder by restoring the fat deficit through dietary EFAs.
Importance of Health Insurance
Health insurance is an essential protection cover to serve as a security shield in times of medical and financial crisis. A comprehensive medical insurance plan protects you and your family financially against major, minor, and critical illnesses.
Owning senior citizen health insurance becomes even more critical as ageing makes you more prone to illnesses you may have avoided in your younger years. Deteriorating health conditions in old age may demand regular treatments and medications, which can drastically get expensive.
With Tata AIG, you can easily buy health insurance online with just a few clicks in the comfort of your home. Despite bringing along the trust of Tata, it also offers other benefits like:
Access to a network of over 10K hospitals across India and the benefits of cashless hospitalisation.
24*7 assistance
Cumulative bonus for every claim-free year
Savings on taxes
Discounts
High claim settlement ratio
Conclusion
Fat deficiency can pose far-reaching consequences on our health. It affects the absorption of essential nutrients and even the immune system. Ensuring an adequate and balanced consumption of fats is vital for maintaining overall well-being. Therefore, it is essential to pay close attention to our fat consumption for the body's proper functioning, avoid lipid deficiency diseases and lead a healthy life.
Also, given the rising medical costs, medical emergencies and bills can be burdening. In such times, a health insurance plan can greatly help. It can provide peace of mind and financial security around the clock, allowing you to lead a worry-free life.
FAQS
** What are the symptoms of low fat in your body?**
Low-fat symptoms in the human body are as follows:
Dry rashes
Weak immune system
Hair loss
Concerns associated with vitamin deficiencies
** Why does a human body need fat?**
Dietary fats are necessary nutrients to provide your body with energy for day-to-day operations and to aid cell function. They provide warmth to your body and protect your organs. Fats are also essential to produce some vital hormones and absorb some nutrients.
** What diseases require a fat-restricted diet?**
Cancer and heart diseases are some ailments that require a fat-restricted diet.
** What happens if you have an abnormal lipid profile?**
Fats or lipids circulate in the blood, produce hormones, provide energy, and help with other vital bodily functions. However, an abnormal lipid profile or abnormal lipid levels (too low or too high) can cause heart attack, cardiovascular disorders, or stroke.
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