Nutrition Requirements, Standards, and Operating Bands for Exploration Missions

The challenge was brought forward in early 2005 to define the nutritional requirements for Exploration missions, and to define the relevant standards and associated operating bands related to nutrition. This document is the result of this charge. An extensive review of existing knowledge was conducted with participation of intramural and extramural experts, and the findings are summarized herein. In short, the approach taken was to define the nutrient intake requirements, that is, the amount of each nutrient expected to be available in the food system. The standards are defined as markers of nutritional status, with optimal (green), sub-optimal (yellow), and critical (red) levels for each. For many of the nutrient requirements, it is not known if they are altered during space flight. Furthermore, in many cases the intake of a nutrient may act as a countermeasure to one or more negative effects of space flight, but these potential countermeasures, too, are not well defined. Thus, we have also documented herein the areas where further research is required. Accordingly, while this document is intended as a comprehensive summary of our knowledge to date, it is expected that this is the first edition of these requirements and standards. As we learn more about space-flight nutrition, and as relationships between disease and nutrients are further defined in Earth-based populations, this document, and the approach to nutrition in the space rogram, will need to be updated accordingly.