208 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
PELLAGRA
AND OTHER SKIN PROBLEMS DUE TO MALNUTRITION
Pellagra is a form of malnutrition that affects the skin and sometimes the digestive
and nervous systems. It is very common in places where people eat a lot of maize
(corn) or other starchy foods and not enough beans, meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, and
other body-building and protective foods (see p. 110).
Skin signs in malnutrition (see the pictures on the following page):
In adults with pellagra the skin
is dry and cracked; it peels like
sunburn on the parts where the
sun hits it, especially:
on the
arms
on the
nape of
the neck
In malnourished children, the
skin of the legs (and sometimes
arms) may have dark marks, like
bruises, or even peeling sores;
the ankles and feet may be
swollen (see p. 113).
on the
backs of
the legs
peeling sores
and dark
marks
swollen
ankles
and feet
When these conditions exist, often there are also other signs of malnutrition: swollen
belly; sores in the corners of the mouth; red, sore tongue; weakness; loss of appetite;
failure to gain weight; etc. (see Chapter 11, p. 112 and 113).
Treatment:
♦ Eating nutritious foods cures pellagra. Every day a person should try to eat
beans, lentils, groundnuts, or some chicken, fish, eggs, meat, or cheese. When
you have a choice, it is also better to use wheat (preferably whole wheat) instead
of maize (corn).
♦ For severe pellagra and some other forms of malnutrition, it may help to take
vitamins, but good food is more important. Be sure the vitamin formula you use
is high in the B vitamins, especially niacin. Brewer’s yeast is a good source of
B vitamins.