Editing Kwashiorkor (section)

=== Low glutathione levels ===
Kwashiorkor is also marked by low [[glutathione]] levels. Glutathione is used in many of the body processes on a molecule level.<ref name=":02">{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=Guoyo |last2=Fang |first2=Yun-Zhong |last3=Yang |first3=Sheng |last4=Lupton |first4=Joanne R |last5=Turner |first5=Nancy D. |date=2004 |title=Glutathione Metabolism and Its Implications for Health |journal=The Journal of Nutrition |doi=10.1093/jn/134.3.489 |doi-access=free |pmid=14988435 |volume=134 |issue=3 |pages=489–492 |url=https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/134/3/489/4688681 |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=19 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619192840/https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/134/3/489/4688681 |url-status=live }}</ref>

It is believed to be related to high oxidant levels commonly seen in people who suffer from starvation and rarely in chronic inflammation.<ref name="Benjamin & Lappin Kwashiorkor"/> Glutathione serves vital functions including management of oxidative stress which is an imbalance that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of many diseases.

Evidence indicates that amino acid balance has an important effect on protein nutrition and therefore on glutathione homeostasis.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gould |first1=Rebecca L. |last2=Pazdro |first2=Robert |title=Impact of Supplementary Amino Acids, Micronutrients, and Overall Diet on Glutathione Homeostasis |journal=Nutrients |date=11 May 2019 |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1056 |doi=10.3390/nu11051056 |pmid=31083508 |pmc=6566166 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Cysteine is an essential amino acid that acts as the limiting amino acid for glutathione synthesis in humans. Factors that increase demand for glutathione may increase demand for cysteine, and hence methionine. Such demands have been hypothesized to increase the risk for kwashiorkor.