  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. 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.
  Keywords: Space nutrition, space flight, effects of microgravity, astronauts,
space food
