Influence of l-lysine supplements on the absorption and retention of nitrogen from milk by children with protein malnutrition

Section D. Nutritive value of milk and milk products

“…The addition of lysine to a cow's milk diet did not improve nitrogen absorption or retention in five Mexican children with chronic severe protein malnutrition (34).…”

Biochemical Effects of Protein-Calorie Malnutrition in Man

“…Other organs, induding the pituitary gland, may be small and morphologically affected to some degree (14,18), The major impact of PCM, however, is not on structure, but rather on function; hence, the major changes are to be found in the development and the biochemical, physiologi cal, and metabolic functions of organ systems. Gradually, the chronically malnourished child is unable to defend body composition and metabolism, his life becomes precariously balanced and a relatively minor disturbance of physiological equilibrium may be fatal (9).…”

“…Muscle may com prise only 25 to 30 per cent of the body mass of malnourished infants, hence, it is not surprising that where balance retentions are assumed to be equiv alent to change in soft tissue like muscle, improbable large results emerge. Generally, absorption of nitrogen from intake is efficient even by severely ill infants shortly after hospitalization (14,117,118,119,175,176), and is not significantly impaired by diarrhea (9) . Nitrogen retained from intake may be utilized for energy or for protein synthesis.…”

“…It is an indictment of tech nically advanced societies. Protein-calorie malnutrition remains a too com mon scourge of underprivileged children in large areas of the world (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). It affects mental, as well as somatic growth and development (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27) .…”