Everything about Beriberi totally explained
Beriberi (pronounced
Berry-berry) is a
nervous system ailment caused by
thiamine (vitamin B
1) deficiency.
Etymology
The origin of the word is from a
Sinhalese phrase meaning "I cannot, I cannot", the word being doubled for emphasis.
Causes
Beriberi is caused by a lack of
thiamine (vitamin B
1). It is common in people whose
diet consists mainly of polished
white rice, which is very low in thiamine because the thiamine-bearing husk has been removed. It is also seen in chronic
alcoholics with an inadequate diet, as well as being a rare side effect of
gastric bypass surgery. If a baby is mainly fed on the
milk of a mother who suffers from thiamine deficiency then that child may develop beriberi as well.
The disease has been seen traditionally in people in
Asian countries (especially in the
19th century and before), due to those countries' reliance on
white rice as a
staple food. Beriberi is a nutritional disorder caused by deficiency of vitamin B characterized by damage to nerves and heart; general symptoms include loss of appetite and feeling of lassitude.
Symptoms and effects
Its
symptoms include weight loss,
emotional disturbances, impaired
sensory perception (
Wernicke's encephalopathy),
weakness and
pain in the limbs, and periods of irregular
heart rate.
Edema (swelling of
bodily tissues) is common. In advanced cases, the
disease may cause
heart failure and
death.
It may also increase the amount of
lactic acid and
pyruvic acid within the blood.
- Wet beriberi affects the heart; it's sometimes fatal, as it causes a combination of heart failure and weakening of the capillary walls, which causes the peripheral tissues to become edematous.
- Dry beriberi causes wasting and partial paralysis resulting from damaged peripheral nerves. It is also referred to as endemic neuritis.
Treatment
Treatment is with
thiamine hydrochloride, either in tablet form or injection. A rapid and dramatic recovery within hours can be made when this is administered to patients with beriberi, and their health can be transformed within an hour of administration of the treatment. Thiamine occurs naturally in unrefined
cereals and fresh foods, particularly fresh
meat,
legumes, green
vegetables,
fruit, and milk.
History
Christiaan Eijkman, a
Dutch physician and
pathologist, first demonstrated that beriberi is caused by poor diet. His work led to the discovery of
vitamins. Together with Sir
Frederick Hopkins, he was awarded the
1929 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Beriberi'.
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