Revisited: Is Subclinical Protein Deficiency A Significant Public Health Concern?

Abstract

In the mid 1970s an emphasis on protein mainutrition shifted to an emphasis on energy deprivation as the crux of the world's nutrition problems. While energy is indeed critical, and clinically pure protein deficiency (i.e. kwashiorkor) relatively uncommon, mild to moderate protein deficiency may be a significant and widely overlooked problem. Studies of dietary intake on an individual level show that foods high in protein are particularly subject to skewed intra-familial distribution, with adult males receiving a disproportionate share. Women and children of ten fail to meet their protein requirements even when consuming adequate or near-adequate amounts of energy. A number of studies suggest that the functional effect of such subclinical protein deficiency is a decreased immunological response, resulting in increased frequency and severity of illness in a group already at risk: women and children in the developing countries. Without underestimating the importance of energy staples, protein intake in these vulnerable groups warrants renewed attention.