Refeeding Syndrome

Long-term starvation results in the human body switching from processing food ingested through the gastrointestinal system to depleting internal resources (body fat and muscle protein). The body literally eats itself. This drastic metabolic change, together with the depletion of most electrolytes, leads to numerous imbalances which make it difficult for the body to process normal quantities of food.

“Refeeding” is the process by which starving individuals are given normal food once again. If this occurs too fast, the body’s attempt to process these nutrients leads to extreme imbalances of already severely depleted electrolytes, such as phosphates, magnesium and potassium. This can lead to sudden death.

When Allied forces entered German wartime camps toward the end of the war, doctors had little medical experience with mass starvation, and how to treat severely starved victims. The Allied soldiers’ generosity to quickly hand out large portions of food unexpectedly and tragically killed many of these starved inmates (see Hemstreet/Weisz).