Nutrition is essential to health all through ones lifespan. Information of varying nutritional needs is vital to convey superior health care. Nutrition throughout the life stages: every healthy people require the equivalent nutrients during each life stage, just in dissimilar amounts. In this paper, I will discuss the nutritional requirements of Teenagers, Adults, and Women during pregnancy and older adults.
Teenagers who are mostly in the Adolescence stage, which is the period between Puberty and adulthood, have distinct growth patterns. Growth spurt at 10 – 11 for females, while for male it starts at the ages of 12 – 13 for males. In addition, in females, fat forms a big percentage of body weight whilst in males the muscle and bone tissues also known as lean body mass augments more than in females. For these individuals, their energy and nutritional requirements are superior to at any other time in the life span excluding throughout pregnancy and lactation. The requirements rely a lot on speed of development, body dimension and physical actions. In terms of Vitamins and minerals, the RDA for vitamins intensifies. In relation to iron requirement, Females requirement for iron upsurges with the onset of menses and the RDA continues to be elevated until menopause. Males’ requirement for iron augments owing to the enlargement of lean body mass however decreases to preadolescent standards early in adulthood. For the case of Calcium it is wanted for bone growth and standards extend their peak throughout this period.
The Pregnancy stage is another lifespan stage that requires special nutritional needs. Pregnancy initiates with the insemination of the ovum and finishes with parturition. It is branded by episodes of fast cell division and physical development. The evolving baby acquires all its nutrients from the mum. Both the babies and mothers’ organs and tissues are enormously susceptible to dietary deficiencies throughout the precarious development times for example Neural tube defects and folate deficiencies and Weight gain. The energy necessities augment by 300 kilocalories above a normal female throughout the 2ND and 3rd. trimester. As for their nutritional requirements; the pregnant woman requires about10 grams/day of proteins above a normal female. In addition, the vitamins and minerals requirements may be augmented especially with vitamins related with energy breakdown, vitamins and minerals linked to blood production and cellular development and vitamins and minerals concomitant with bone enlargement. Therefore, supplements may be required to counter augmented demands.
The nutritional requirement for individuals in the adulthood stage is controversial. Adulthood is the last stage from adolescence connecting to old age. Both Anatomical and physiological variations come to a halt. Degenerative changes starts occurring at around 30. The energy necessities declines however are correlated with activity. The nutritional necessities are inlayed in the RDA’s.
Older adult or Senescence is the course of becoming old. This stage is separated into two clusters since the requirements may be precisely dissimilar. The groups are 51 – 70 and 71 and older. The Degenerative variations linger in terms of body configuration; bone and muscle bulk is absent and fat is increased, this may be reduced by good diet and physical action. There is Sluggish motility instigated by lose in elasticity of intestinal wall accompanied by Atrophic gastritis which damages digestion and nutrients absorption .The loss of Sensory sensitivity may impede the inclination to eat owing to loss of taste and smell. Energy necessities decline nevertheless are still reliant on on physical action. The Nutritional necessities include increased Water intakes to avoid dehydration. Increased Protein in diet, this is required to avoid protein muscle degeneration and uphold a strong immune system. A lot of Carbohydrate is required to stop the body in using proteins as an energy source. A lot of fiber should also be provided with Fat intake limited however not abolished. The Vitamins and minerals might necessitate enhancements if not expended in food as said by RDA’s.
References
Whitney, N and Rolfes, S (2005). Understanding Nutrition. Thomson Wadsworth Publication
