Dr. Walter Willett stated:
Malsorption syndrome occurs when nutrients are not fully and optimally absorbed during digestion. When vitamins, proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, and other nutrients are not fully absorbed, the body gradually falls into a state of severe nutritional deficiency, weakening vital systems.
The first and most common consequence is a weakened immune system, making the body more vulnerable to dangerous infections such as pneumonia, respiratory infections, or prolonged infectious diarrhea; wounds also heal slowly and can easily lead to blood infections. When malnutrition persists, the body begins to consume its own muscle mass to sustain life, leading to heart failure due to cardiac muscle wasting and respiratory failure because the respiratory muscles become weakened. At the same time, many vital organs such as the liver and kidneys may be damaged, causing detoxification dysfunction, electrolyte imbalance, and body edema.
If not improved in time, malnutrition can also cause muscle wasting, osteoporosis, memory decline, and metabolic disorders, and may even lead to multiple organ failure and death. According to the WHO, malnutrition is directly or indirectly associated with more than 50% of deaths caused by infectious diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea.