Question:
Which disease is associated with an excessive maize diet?
Which disease is associated with an excessive maize diet?
Show Hint
Maize is high in leucine which blocks tryptophan to niacin, causing pellagra.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Wernicke's encephalopathy
- Pellagra
- Beri-Beri
- Scurvy
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Pellagra is a niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency disorder, classically remembered by the 4 D's: dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia and death.
Step 2: Maize is poor in available niacin and, more importantly, is rich in the amino acid leucine. Excess leucine interferes with the conversion of tryptophan to niacin, aggravating the pellagragenic effect of a maize-based diet.
Step 3: This explains why pellagra is reported in maize and jowar (sorghum) eating populations, such as the Telangana region. Hence option b is correct.
Step 4: The distractors relate to other vitamins. Wernicke's encephalopathy and beri-beri are thiamine (B1) deficiencies, and scurvy is vitamin C deficiency, so none links to maize.
Step 2: Maize is poor in available niacin and, more importantly, is rich in the amino acid leucine. Excess leucine interferes with the conversion of tryptophan to niacin, aggravating the pellagragenic effect of a maize-based diet.
Step 3: This explains why pellagra is reported in maize and jowar (sorghum) eating populations, such as the Telangana region. Hence option b is correct.
Step 4: The distractors relate to other vitamins. Wernicke's encephalopathy and beri-beri are thiamine (B1) deficiencies, and scurvy is vitamin C deficiency, so none links to maize.
Was this answer helpful?
0
0
Top NEET PG Community Science Questions
- Green colour of triage is for which type of patient?
- The Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution includes which of the following?
- The last point up to which the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme is included is:
- The health centre in the remotest area, used as the first contact point for planning and management of schemes, is the:
- The diagnostic power of a test to correctly diagnose a disease (the proportion of positive test results that truly have the disease) is:
View More Questions
Top NEET PG Nutrition - Dietary Fibre Questions
Top NEET PG Questions
- A patient hailing from Delhi presents with fever, arthralgia, and extensive petechial rash for 3 days. Lab investigations revealed a hemoglobin of 9 g/ dL, a white blood cell count of 9000 cells/mm3, a platelet count of 20000 cells/mm3, and a prolonged bleeding time. The clotting time was normal. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Which of the following statements is true about Trichomonas vaginalis?
- A lady from West Rajasthan presented with an ulcer surrounded by erythema on the right leg. Microscopy of the biopsy from the edge of the ulcer showed organisms with dark staining nuclei and kinetoplast. What is the most likely causative agent?
- A child presents with a fever and a rash. Urine examination showed cells with owl's eye appearance. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Infection with Clonorchis sinensis is associated with an increased risk of__?
View More Questions