Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Numerous disorders can alter the physiological mechanisms that guarantee proper digestion and absorption of nutrients macro- and micronutrients , leading to a wide variety of symptoms and nutritional consequences. Malabsorption can be caused by many diseases of the small intestine, as well as by diseases of the pancreas, liver, biliary tract, and stomach.
The normal uptake of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals by the gastrointestinal tract GI requires several steps, each of which can be compromised in disease.
This article will first describe the mechanisms that lead to poor assimilation of nutrients, and secondly discuss the symptoms and nutritional consequences of each specific disorder. The clinician must be aware that many malabsorptive disorders are manifested by subtle disorders, even without gastrointestinal symptoms for example, anemia, osteoporosis, or infertility in celiac disease , so the index of suspicion must be high to recognize the underlying diseases in time.
Nutrient digestion and absorption are necessary for the survival of living organisms and have evolved into the complex and specific tasks of the gastrointestinal GI system. Thus, in healthy conditions, the GI tract will work properly to use nutrients, provide energy, and release wastes. However, numerous disorders can alter the physiological mechanisms that guarantee proper digestion and absorption of nutrients macro- and micronutrients , leading to a wide variety of symptoms and nutritional consequences.
The normal uptake of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals by the gastrointestinal tract GI requires several steps, each of which can be compromised in disease, and there are excellent reviews about it [ 2 ].
