Poor nutrition can lead to blindness

The dangers of malnutrition, as well as the dangerssedentary lifestyle, everyone knows. However, knowing and understanding are two different things. If you do not pay attention to the daily diet, regularly snacking on sandwiches and junk food, in the future you should not rely on good health. There is nothing more banal than the phrase “you are what you eat”, however, science proves that this is the case. Recently in the UK, a teenager lost his sight. He first sought help at the age of 14, complaining of fatigue. A year later, the boy again came to the doctor’s office, however, this time he was worried about partial hearing loss and had problems with his eyesight. He was referred to an otolaryngologist and an ophthalmologist, but the doctors did not find the reason for the condition of the teenager. What happened to him?

It looks like a healthy human eye under a microscope

What happens if you eat chips and sausage?

The name of a teenager who is now 17 years old is notdisclosed for privacy reasons, so let's call it Tom. So, after examination by specialized specialists who did not identify the cause of vision loss and hearing problems, Tom was sent to the Bristol Eye Clinic. The teenager was examined by a neuroophthalmologist and diagnosed damage to the optic nerve (optic neuropathy). Further examination revealed the cause of the condition of the teenager - he ate very poorly.

Test results showed nutritional deficienciestrace elements, including low levels of vitamin B12, vitamin D, copper and high levels of zinc. The bone mineral density of the teenager was also very low - probably due to the low vitamin D content. Tom admitted that he had been incredibly picky since elementary school, refusing to eat a certain texture. The young man’s daily diet included a portion of chips from a local fish store, and in between the chips Tom enjoyed sandwiches made from white bread and slices of sausage.

A handful of chips is unlikely to harm you, but if you eat them regularly, expect trouble

During treatment, Tom was given nutritional supplements, buthis eyesight did not improve. The unique case of Tom prompted scientists to conduct a study, the results of which were published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Experts concluded that Tom's unhealthy diet and limited intake of nutritious vitamins and minerals led to the development of nutritive optic neuropathy - damage to the optic nerve, which caused blindness. This is a rare but serious complication caused by nutrient deficiency.

Keep in mind: Vitamins can reduce the risk of death, but only if you get them with food.

A similar pathology is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1,B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, as well as iron, calcium, magnesium and copper. Doctors note that detecting pathology at an early stage and adjusting nutrition can restore patients' vision, however, in the case of Tom, the problem was discovered too late. What other health problems may arise due to improper nutrition - read on our channel in Yandex.Zen

What else threatens nutritional deficiencies?

Despite the abundance of goods on the shelvessupermarkets, nutrient deficiency in the world is very common. It is estimated that around 2 billion people worldwide suffer from problems with access to food. In low- and middle-income countries, poverty and inadequate food intake are the main causes of micronutrient deficiencies.

The main thing is a reasonable approach to nutrition - sometimes even a burger will not hurt

However, residents of countries withhigh incomes such as the United States, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, where nutrient deficiency problems tend to be caused by intestinal problems that interfere with the absorption of important nutrients, medication, or poor nutrition — sometimes in combination with alcoholism or smoking — or both.

Experts say that nutritional deficienciessubstances in childhood affects adulthood and older age. Eating poor-quality food and junk food, along with the growing popularity of veganism and even a raw food diet, can lead to a deficiency of vitamins D and B12. The fact is that these vitamins are found in meat, fish and dairy products. Eating vegetables or chips alone, as in the case of Tom, without additional food additives, threatens the development of serious diseases and can lead to blindness.

So, scientists are aware of the connection between consumption of largethe amount of fried foods and the development of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Recent studies have also found a correlation between the development of breast cancer in women and the consumption of large amounts of red meat. Experts agree that nutrition should be harmonious - you can exclude certain foods from your diet for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, do not forget to replace the vitamins contained in the excluded products with other products, or consult with specialists and select the necessary nutritional supplements.

Note that you need to drink vitamins and other supplementsonly if the attending physician requires it, based on the results of the tests. Otherwise, an excess of certain vitamins and minerals can also be harmful to your health. Do you eat right? Share your tips in the comments and our Telegram chat