Underweight

Caution

When one loses weight for no apparent reason, a complete medical review is necessary to determine the cause and eliminate any malignant process

Causes

The most common causes of weight loss are: Digestive disorders, Intestinal parasites, Excess physical activity or out of proportion to the amount of food taken in, and hormonal disorders such as hyperthyroidism

Diet

To regain weight the diet must meet 3 requisites:

1. It must provide sufficient calories in the form of carbohydrates. This way the body can utilize dietary proteins to synthesize new proteins. If there are no sufficient calories in the diet, the body uses proteins for energy and not for tissue.

2. It must provide an adequate supply of B-Group of vitamins, which are essential in metabolism of carbohydrates, converting them to energy.

3. It must maintain the correct proportion of calories from the 3 energy nutrients; Carbohydrates (60%), fats (30%) and proteins (10%)

With the goal of taking in as many calories as possible, concentrated foods that are rich in B vitamins are recommended.

Such foods include: Whole grains, oats, wheat, legumes, and potatoes.