What Are Metabolism Disorders, and How Do They Affect Our Health?

Metabolism is the chemical process that occurs in our body and transforms the food into energy that works as fuel and contributes to various body functions. This process is not only vital to run everyday internal body functions, but it also helps in glucose extraction that energizes us. Our food is a major energy contributor and includes multiple nutrients that strengthen our bodies.

Our body either utilizes the fuel right away or stores it in the form of body fat. Enzymes break down food particles in our digestive tract and then carry the fuel where it is needed. These nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, fats, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and water.

Due to various reasons, metabolism disorders can occur and affect any part of the digestive system hindering effective energy conversion.

What Are Metabolism Disorders?

The simple definition of metabolic disorder is some issue in the digestive system that either result in too much or too little accumulation of nutrients needed to stay healthy. This condition can cause a hyperactive or hypoactive state because of a lack of energy. Our body functions depend greatly on our metabolism. Without proper digestion and absorption of required nutrients like proteins, amino acids, and minerals, every organ, from the brain to the lungs, and others, cannot perform its functions.

Thus, taking care of your metabolic health and eating healthy is important to live a good life. Metabolic disorders are a group of health conditions and risks that can affect the digestive system.

• Missing enzyme or vitamin necessary for an important chemical reaction or breakdown of food particles
• Abnormal chemical reactions that alter metabolic processes and rate
• Some health condition, illness, or disease in the liver, pancreas, endocrine glands, or other organs involved in metabolism

Nutritional deficiencies, etc.

What Causes Metabolic Disorders?

The proper functioning of every organ is vital for a healthier body. Any small alteration or change can negatively impact the body’s metabolic rate and cause various health problems. Any small body change or organ dysfunction can cause serious metabolic disorders.

These disorders can result from genetic mutations, hormone or enzyme deficiency, binge eating, anorexia, or multiple other factors.

Metabolic disorders are not limited to small body changes and can seriously affect a person’s life, causing severe outcomes. Mutations in the genetic makeup are one of the prime causes of these disorders and can result from particular racial or ethnic groups that pass them on to children. The National Institue of Health (NIT) conducted a research study that concluded that these genes mutation could occur in;

• Sickle Cell Anemia In African Americans
• Cystic Fibrosis In People Of European Heritage
• Maple Syrup Urine Disease In Mennonite Communities
• Gaucher’s Disease In Jewish People From Eastern Europe
• Hemochromatosis In Caucasians In The United States
• Types Of Metabolic Disorders

Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic diseases-. There are two types of diabetes; Type 1 and Type 2. Both are fairly common and widely affect human lives globally. In type 1 diabetes, the T cells attack and kill beta cells in the pancreas and prevent insulin production in the body. Over time, a lack of insulin can cause:

• Nerve and kidney damage
• Eyesight impairment
• Increased risk of heart and vascular disease
• Hundreds of inborn errors in metabolism (IEM) have been identified, and most are extremely rare. However, it’s estimated that IEM collectively affects 1 in every 1,000 infants.

What Are Some Common Metabolic Disorders?

Metabolic disorders commonly occur when a condition called insulin resistance occurs. Normally, our food is broken down into sugar, which is utilized by cells as fuel. As a result of excess blood sugar levels, our pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin to lower sugar levels in the blood.

Insulin resistance does not let cells get the sugar they need, and the body tries but fails to utilize the produced insulin. Out of all common types of metabolic disorders, some are:

Gaucher’s disease

This disorder does not let enzymes do their job and break down the food particles. In short, Gaucher’s disease does not let the body break down a particular fat in food. It can become painful when this fat does not get absorbed in the body (i.e., for the liver, spleen, and bone marrow).

Not only does this condition cause fat deficiency, it also leads to pain pangs and bone damage and even becomes fatal. To treat this condition, patients are given enzyme replacement therapies. Slowly, the patient can get back to accepting fat absorption in the body.

Glucose Galactose Malabsorption

As the name suggests, this disorder circles around the transport of glucose and galactose, two sugar groups that are basic fuel for the body. This condition severely damages the stomach lining and leads to diarrhea and dehydration. To deal with symptoms, patients are prescribed a diet with controlled levels of lactose, sucrose, glucose, etc.

The disorder can become severe, so immediate help-seeking is advised for everyone facing this metabolic health problem.

Hereditary hemochromatosis

As discussed above, genetic makeup plays a crucial role in finalizing how our body will function and what changes will occur. This condition is usually a cause of genetic mutation and happens when our body carries excess iron deposits in several organs. In the long run, this disorder can cause the following health issues:

• liver cirrhosis
• liver cancer
• diabetes
• heart disease

The treatment is blood transfusion at regular intervals.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD)

This disorder is one of the fatal ones, and if newborn babies have it, they die within a few months after birth. The disorder affects the neurons by disrupting the metabolism of certain amino acids responsible for generating neurons. Limiting the intake of branch-chain amino acids is the optimal solution and has effectively prevented severe outcomes.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Phenylketonuria, or PKU, is the inability to produce a certain enzyme called phenylalanine hydroxylase. This condition leads to organ damage and affects the mental stability.

Thus, Metabolism disorders can result in some serious health risks that can take away the required living standards of life. We must take care of our diets and regularly visit a healthcare expert for timely diagnosis and treatment.