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Nutraceutical and Nutrients Development for Space Travel

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Handbook of Space Pharmaceuticals

Abstract

Nutrition has a key role inthe functioning of the body; poor nutrition compromises all the physiological systems. From the basic impact of nutrient intake on health maintenance to the psychosocial benefits of mealtime, great advancements in nutritional sciences for support of human space travel have occurred over the past 60 years. Nutrition in space has many areas of impact, including provision of required nutrients and maintenance of endocrine, immune, and musculoskeletal systems. It is affected by environmental conditions such as radiation, temperature, and atmospheric pressures, and these are reviewed. Nutrition with respect to space flight is closely interconnected with other life sciences research disciplines including the study of hematology, immunology, as well as neurosensory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, circadian rhythms, and musculoskeletal physiology. Psychosocial aspects of nutrition are also important for more productive missions and crew morale. Nutrition has critical multiple roles in the health of astronauts such as physical training during space flight from providing sufficient nutrients to meet the metabolic needs of the body and to maintain good health, to the beneficial psychosocial aspects related to the meals. Research conducted to determine the impact of spaceflight on human physiology and subsequent nutritional requirements will also have direct and indirect applications in Earth-based nutrition research. Cumulative nutritional research over the past five decades has resulted in the current nutritional requirements for astronauts. Realization of the full role of nutrition during spaceflight is critical for the success of extended-duration missions. Long-duration missions will require quantitation of nutrient requirements for maintenance of health and protection against the effects of microgravity. This chapter reviews state of the art and highlight areas of ongoing research on nutrients and nutraceutical and perspectives for future exploration of the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and beyond.

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  1. University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Catalano Enrico

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  1. Catalano Enrico
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Correspondence to Catalano Enrico .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Health College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Yashwant Pathak

  2. PUCRS, Partenon, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Marlise Araújo dos Santos

  3. BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    Luis Zea

Section Editor information

  1. Assistant Research Professor, BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    Luis Zea Ph.D

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Enrico, C. (2021). Nutraceutical and Nutrients Development for Space Travel. In: Pathak, Y., Araújo dos Santos, M., Zea, L. (eds) Handbook of Space Pharmaceuticals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50909-9_39-1

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