Nutrition requirements for our lifetime, from beginning to end

Pregnancy: the beginning of life.

Women’s nutrient needs increase for specific nutrients during pregnancy so they need to be careful food choices. Women need to choose more nutrient-dense foods from the five food groups to meet their needs. Ample carbohydrates are needed as well as 25 grams more protein than that of a non-pregnant women. Folate, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Calcium, and Iron also need increased in the diet of a pregnant woman to assist in a healthy pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins are also suggested to ensure proper nutrient intake. Things to avoid would be cigarette smoking, medicinal drugs and herbal supplements, drugs of abuse, environmental contaminants, foodborne illness, vitamin-mineral overdoses, restrictive dieting, sugar substitutes, caffeine, and alcohol (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).

Infancy

Infants grow rapidly and their metabolic rate is extremely high so they need a major supply of nutrients, nearly twice as much as adults. Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Iodine are crucial. Water is also extremely important for the development of infants. Breast milk is recommended to give an infant the best chance of receiving the needed nutrients, so mothers need to ensure that they are meeting their own nutritional needs (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).

Childhood and Adolescence

Protein needs increase as children grow, and carbohydrate and fiber needs are determined by glucose use by the brain. Fat and fatty acids need to stay within recommended bounds. Children’s vitamin and mineral needs increase as they grow, vitamin D, calcium, and iron are still crucial. Once we reach adolescences, nutrition becomes more important than during any other time in life except for pregnancy and lactation. Iron, Vitamin D, and Calcium needs are majorily increased (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).

Adulthood

Nutrition needs become more individual with age, genetics and medical history. Protein recommendations are about the same throughout adulthood. Ample carbohydrates allow for healthy brain function, and ample fiber provides healthy digesting function. Consuming enough fats becomes more crucial as we age. Vitamins A, D, B12, and other vitamins are also crucial in adulthood. Proper water intake, iron, zinc, calcium, and supplements are needed in adulthood as well (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).

 

Although the amounts of different nutrients change over our lifespan, one thing remains the same. We need healthy foods to have an optimum life!

 

 

 http://www.biologyreference.com/photos/life-cycle-human-3763.jpg

 

Reference:

 

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.).  Mason, OH:Cengage Learning