Nutrient Deficiencies & Imbalances Flashcards

Which nutrient deficiency is associated with 'burning feet syndrome' and is commonly seen in malnourished populations?

Answer: Pantothenic acid (B5)

Pantothenic acid (B5) deficiency can cause burning feet syndrome, characterized by painful burning and tingling sensations in the feet due to impaired CoA synthesis.

A client consuming raw egg whites regularly develops alopecia, seborrheic dermatitis, and conjunctivitis. Which deficiency is most likely?

Answer: Biotin (B7)

Avidin in raw egg whites binds biotin and blocks its absorption; biotin deficiency causes hair loss, seborrheic dermatitis, and conjunctivitis.

Which calcium-regulating hormone becomes deficient when magnesium levels are critically low, contributing to hypocalcemia resistant to calcium supplementation alone?

Answer: Parathyroid hormone (PTH)

Severe hypomagnesemia impairs PTH secretion and peripheral tissue response to PTH, causing hypocalcemia that will not correct until magnesium is repleted.

Which two nutrients work synergistically to activate vitamin K-dependent proteins involved in directing calcium to bones rather than arteries?

Answer: Vitamin K2 and vitamin D

Vitamin K2 activates matrix Gla-protein and osteocalcin to direct calcium to bones; vitamin D increases calcium absorption — together they prevent arterial calcification.

In NTP practice, elevated plasma homocysteine is used as a functional marker for deficiency of which nutrient group?

Answer: B vitamins B6, B9 (folate), and B12

Homocysteine is remethylated to methionine via folate- and B12-dependent pathways, or transsulfurated via B6; deficiency of B6, folate, or B12 all elevate homocysteine.

Dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition associated with celiac disease) leads to chronic malabsorption most likely to cause deficiency of which nutrient pair?

Answer: Vitamin B12 and iron

Celiac-related small intestinal damage impairs absorption of iron (absorbed in the duodenum) and B12 (absorbed in the terminal ileum), making this pair the most common deficiency duo.

A client with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue is found to have depleted red blood cell magnesium despite normal serum levels. What does this illustrate about serum testing for this mineral?

Answer: Serum magnesium is tightly regulated and may appear normal even when intracellular stores are depleted

The body tightly regulates serum magnesium by pulling it from intracellular stores, so serum levels can appear normal despite significant total body and intracellular depletion.